___________

Buganda kingdom has clarified on the ongoing controversy surrounding land at Kaazi. The kingdom is warning that anyone who participates in any sale or buying of any part of it is committing an illegality and could face legal consequences. 

The kingdom said the land which is comprised of Kyaddondo Block 273 Plot 5 measuring 120 acres belongs to the Kabaka of Buganda and it falls in the category of the official Mailo.

In 1948, according to the kingdom, the land was leased out by the Kabaka of Buganda Sir Edward Muteesa II to The Uganda Scouts Association of Private Bag Kampala exclusively for the purpose of scouts' camping site. They were prohibited from sub-dividing or sub-leasing this land.

The notice, which was published in the media on Thursday, revealed that the Kaazi land forms part of the Buganda properties that had been wrongly confiscated by the Government in 1967 and it was returned to the Kabaka of Buganda in 1993 under the auspices of Traditional Rulers (Restitution Of Assets and Property Act 1993 Cap 247 Laws of Uganda).

" It is not a private estate of anyone! Of recent, some unscrupulous individuals have started sub-dividing, selling and building on part of this land, confusing the public that they are the rightful owners, " a notice by Christopher Bwanika, the attorney General of the kingdom said.

"The public should take note that anyone who transacts on this land is doing it illegally and whoever was duped into buying part of this land should report the matter to Buganda Land Board because it is the only entity with the mandate to manage this land.

"No other person, group or entity, not even Uganda Land Commission, has the authority to transact on this land! Whoever acts contrary will be prosecuted in the Courts of Law."

Background

The development comes against a backdrop of a raging row over the ownership and usage of the land, which is now under the Uganda Scouts Association at Kaazi in Wakiso district.

Documents show that some of the Uganda Scouts Association leaders obtained a substitute certificate of title with the help of some officials from the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) before they sub-divided and sub-leased part of the land to two companies.

The companies are M/s Serena Heights Kaazi Ventures and M/s Sky and Lakes Limited.

These two companies subsequently started parcelling out the land to private individuals for commercial and residential purposes.

Records from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau indicate that Serena Heights Kaazi Ventures was formed in 2022, while M/s Sky and Lakes Limited was incorporated in 2011.