Butaleja men return land, property grabbed from widow
Baluka, a mother of seven, was forced out of her home and left homeless with her children, who also dropped out of school because they had no place to live.
Bukedi South deputy regional police commander Moses Muzima Kiconco (right) holding the widow's hand with other members after the reconciliatory meeting on Thursday. (Photos by Faustine Odeke)
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Residents of Tahajaha Damba village in Kachonga subcounty, Butaleja district, have witnessed a rare gesture after six men publicly returned land they had allegedly grabbed from a widow.
The action followed a community sensitisation meeting led by the Bukedi South Regional Police Commander on August 20, 2026, and was aimed at addressing cases of relatives taking property from widows and orphans after the death of a family member.
The six men, Hassan Mwima, 44, Zaidi Kiwalyanga, 31, Abbey Wasoko, 44, Hamuzah Wasoodoli, 57, Musa Mwima, 58, and Hussein Mwima, all residents of Tahajaha Damba village, were arrested and remanded to Butaleja Prison by Butaleja Grade One Magistrate Ignatius Ategeka over alleged forcible entry onto a widow's land and intermeddling with the property of a deceased person. They were later released on bail on August 12.
The six, including brothers and elder sons of the deceased Huzairi Wandago, allegedly grabbed the land a month after Wandago's death in November 2022 and constructed a house on it without the consent of his 38-year-old widow, Baluka Madina.
Baluka, a mother of seven, was forced out of her home and left homeless with her children, who also dropped out of school because they had no place to live. The family was later assisted by Redeem International, an organisation that protects widows, widowers and orphans from land grabbing.
During a reconciliatory prayer and sensitisation meeting with the deceased's family at the widow's compound, Joshua Segowa, a legal expert at Redeem International, sensitised residents about succession law and the need for relatives to respect the will of the deceased.
Madina Baluka (in blue) with her seven children
Segowa said such cases are rampant in the district, where clan members have ignorantly assumed ownership of deceased people's property without the consent of widows and orphans. He said the organisation is currently handling close to 40 such cases in court.
He cautioned residents that ignorance of legal procedures is no longer an excuse and that suspects would be held and prosecuted according to the law.
Bukedi South deputy regional police commander Moses Muzima Kiconco cautioned relatives and clan members against interfering with the property of deceased people, warning of severe repercussions.
"You have your own land and property; why should you be interested in your deceased property? The law on succession is very clear, and if you don’t follow the right procedure, we shall prosecute you," Kiconco cautioned.
He also asked religious leaders to guide their followers to plan their families responsibly instead of marrying several women and having many children without sufficient property and land, only to target property left by deceased relatives.
Zaidi Kiwalyanga publicly confessed that he and his relatives had decided to grab the land because their father made a will while on his deathbed granting permission to their young stepmother while excluding them.
Hussein Mwima broke down in tears, saying they decided to build on the land to maintain family unity. He said that now that he had been ejected from the land, the widow and her children should not seek any assistance from him.
He said the house in which Baluka is staying was built with his assistance, including help with drawing the building plans. He said his elder brother also built on the land with the intention of staying closer to the family and maintaining unity.
Kiconco advised the affected relatives to have a forgiving heart and continue helping the widow because they are all part of the same family.
Kawere Iman Abedi, one of the district Muslim leaders, said what had happened should serve as an eye-opener to residents planning to grab their relatives' property. He said he had tried to mediate between the families but was ignored and thanked Redeem International for its intervention.
Hussein Muneru, the deputy district khadi in charge of administration, faulted the family members for ignoring Muslim leadership, which had guided them, saying they became interested in issues that pleased their ears rather than understanding what the law says.
"A similar issue was happening in my own home, but when I invited Lydia Namugere, the [police] officer in charge of the child and family protection unit [CFPU], we sat and discussed, and issues were addressed’’ Muneru said.
Kachonga subcounty LCIII chairperson Chris Magololo asked men to plan for their families before their death to prevent similar disputes, which he said were rampant.
"Look at your family and handle it wholesomely; the accused would have used funds spent in the legal process to buy land instead of thinking of land that doesn’t belong to them," Magololo said.