Court temporarily halts Kamoga land case hearing

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Property dealer Muhammed Kamoga has breathed a sigh of relief after the High Court temporarily halted hearing the case in which he had been directed to hand over titles of land valued at sh11b to businessman Andrew Nganda Bugingo.

The land, measuring 16 acres, is located in Garuga-Entebbe, Wakiso district. Bugingo’s lawyer, Anthony Tomusange, said there are 32 titles on the land.

When the case resumed on May 7, 2025, Christine Kellen Namutebi, the deputy registrar of the Land Division of the High Court, retracted her earlier order, directing Kamoga to produce the titles, saying he had filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal.

In the appellate court, Kamoga is challenging the ruling by Justice Alexander Nkonge, stating that it unfairly implicated him despite no directive citing him as a party in the case, except for an order requiring him to pay compensation, which he has already fulfilled.

Kamoga’s lawyers, Brian Tindyebwa and Berna Nakyeyune, told the court that in the initial ruling by Justice Alexander Nkonge, it was stated that Kamoga was not a party to the case.

Despite that, the court ruled in favour of Fredrick Kiwanuka Kwatakunsawo, who was tasked with clarifying ownership of the land and Kamoga to pay Bugingo and hand over the agreed-upon land titles—something he has not done to date.

Bugingo’s legal team, led by Anthony Tomusange, maintained that their case was solely against Kamoga, a position Kamoga's lawyers disputed. They also requested the court to summon Kwatakunsawo to explain his involvement in the case.

Based on this, the presiding judge halted the hearing of the case until the Court of Appeal issues its decision on the matter. The case was adjourned to June 16, 2025.

Consent judgement

In the consent judgement, it was agreed that the first defendant (Bugingo) would surrender 36.5 acres in Garuga to Kiwanuka, who had sued Bugingo and 19 others over ownership of the land.

Bugingo surrendered the 36.5 acres at Garuga in exchange for two plots of land at Rubaga in 2012. Bugingo also owned another 63.5 acres in Garuga, shared between Kiwanuka and Kamoga.

Also, the consent dictated that the 1.8 acres to be used by the defunct Uganda National Roads Authority for the construction of a road be given to Kiwanuka.

Other charges

In September last year, Kamoga was arraigned before Entebbe Chief Magistrates’ Court on multiple charges of allegedly forging the signature of businessman Peter Bibangamba on transfer forms for land at Busiro, Block 435, for more than 200 titles of land in May and February 2021, uttering false documents and obtaining registration by false pretences.

In another case, Kamoga is charged with malicious damage to property and the unlawful eviction of Harriet Nabyonga, a resident of Bukaaya village, Wakiso district.

The prosecution alleges that on May 7, 2021, at the Wakiso lands office, Kamoga, with intent to deceive, forged a transfer form dated May 7, 2021, in respect of land on Block 435 Plot 8, purporting it to have been by Bibangamba whereas not.

The land broker is also accused of uttering a false transfer form, where it is alleged that he submitted the said forged documents to the registrar of titles purporting it to be signed by Bibangamba, whereas not.