Port Bell recovery: IGG reverses fraud on church land

KAMPALA - The Inspectorate of Government (IG) has successfully moved to reinstate the Registered Trustees of the Church of Uganda as the sole, lawful owners of prime real estate located along Old Port Bell Road, following a decisive investigative intervention into systemic land fraud.

In a formal statement released on March 25, 2026, the Inspectorate revealed that a sophisticated fraudulent scheme within the Land Registration Department had resulted in the illicit issuance of a special certificate of title.

Despite the original title remaining in the secure custody of the Church’s Trustees, the department had effectively transferred ownership of Plot 107 to a private individual, Meddie Mayega Nyago, in late 2022.

The Inspector General’s subsequent order to cancel the fraudulent instrument and correct the National Land Information System (NLIS) marks a significant victory for the rule of law.

This recovery not only restores a critical institutional asset but serves as a stern affirmation of the government’s commitment to transparency and the protection of property rights against bureaucratic malfeasance.

The trouble began at Plot 107, Old Port Bell Road. According to investigators, a complaint was lodged alleging that the Land Registration Department had bypassed the Church of Uganda, which held the original physical title, to "fraudulently" issue a special certificate of title.

This secondary document was then used to transfer the land to a businessman, Meddie Mayega Nyago, effectively erasing the Church’s ownership from the National Land Information System despite the original deed never having left the Trustees' possession.

The manoeuvre, executed in late 2022, was a classic "double title" play that has long plagued Ugandan land administration. However, the intervention by the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Justice Aisha Naluze, was swift and decisive.

Following a detailed probe into the KCCA-registered instruments used to flip the property, the IGG issued a formal order to the Commissioner of Land Registration to strike the fraudulent entry from the books.

By March 9, 2026, a fresh search of the national land registry confirmed the correction.

The Church of Uganda has been fully reinstated as the lawful owner of the digital system, rendering the illicit 2022 transfer null and void.

For the Inspectorate, this isn't just about a single plot of land in a busy Kampala suburb. It is a calculated signal to public offices and private speculators alike.

In a statement accompanying the news, the IG framed the recovery as a "bold commitment" to the rule of law. It serves as a rare but potent example of the state's accountability mechanisms working to unwind a fraud that, until recently, might have gone unchallenged.