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Lands state minister Dr Sam Mayanja has intervened in a land battle between Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom Prince Pastor Steven Kyebambe and Anatori Girayitima, 95, in Kikuube district.

Kyebambe is a pastor of Gospel Centre Church Kawaala in Kampala and a member of the royal clan (Babito) in Bunyoro Kitara kingdom.

Mayanja on Thursday, April 4, 2024, condemned the eviction of the Girayitima and his family from their land by Kyebambe and ordered the cancellation of the title processed by Kyabembe on the land.

Kyabambe has been battling with Girayitima, a resident of Kachungiro village in Kinogozi parish, Buhimba sub-county over the land.

Girayitima, who claims that he acquired the land during his youth in the 1940s, accuses Kyebambe of illegally grabbing the 68 acres where he has lived with his family for over 70 years.

According to him, Kyabambe used his influence and cancelled a title, which he acquired from the Hoima district land board in 2014. He noted that his troubles started in 2013 when Kyebambe started claiming ownership of his land.

This the old man Anatori Girayitima, 95, whose land was grabbed by Prince Pastor Steven Kyebambe. (Photo by Peter Abaanabasazi)

Girayitima said he had a farm and family house on this land but Kyebambe, with the help of the Police, harassed his family and ended up evicting them from the land.

According to him, Kyebambe evicted his family and annexed 64 acres after he cancelled his Girayitima land title and processed another land title.

He added that Kyebambe connived with the then registrar of titles in the lands ministry and cancelled his title without giving him a fair hearing.

Last year, Mayanja ordered Kikuube Resident District Commissioner Amlan Tumusiime to return Girayitma to the land but his efforts were futile after Kyebambe denied the old man access.

Following several complaints from the old man’s family, the minister visited the land to ascertain more information about the land wrangle.

Discoveries

During his visit, he discovered that Pastor Kyabambe had illegally cancelled the old man's title and illegally processed another title in his name. It is from this point that Mayanja ordered the cancellation of Kyabambe’s land title because he acquired it illegally.

“The old man’s land title is genuine and it was cancelled illegally, I order that Kyebambe’s title be cancelled and Girayitima’s land title be validated and allowed to access his land for development,” he said.

He noted that Section 48 of the Registration of Titles Act indicates that when more than one title is processed on one land, the first title surpasses other titles processed after it.

Mayanja also ordered the Police to arrest Kyabambe and charge him with trespass, illegal processing of a land title and malicious damage. 

He added that Kyabambe illegally evicted the family of the Girayitima from their land yet President Yoweri Museveni stopped eviction of the Bibanja holders.

He demanded that livestock, bananas, coffee plantations and other developments belonging to pastor Kyabambe be removed and allow the old man to use his land.

Tumusiime commended the minister for the visit to the land adding that Girayitima is the rightful owner of the land. He said Kyabambe connived with security to deny the old man his land rights.

He noted that though Kyabambe claims that the land was given to him by the kingdom, the kingdom officials recently denied doing so.

Kyebambe's stand

Recently, Kyebambe denied the claims of grabbing Girayitima’s land and said that in 2013, he was given powers of attorney by Omukama of Bunyoro Kitara kingdom Dr Solomon Iguru to develop and secure all the investment on the land including cultural sites.

He said the land measuring 250 acres is ancestral land of the Royal clan adding that Girayitima had encroached on the land and processed a title illegally.

He explained that in 2013, Giriyitma filed a case against him (pastor) over this land at Hoima Chief Magistrate’s Court but Giriyitma lost the case.

He added that Giriyitma protested the ruling and appealed at Masindi High Court where he lost the case again.