Two remanded over alleged property destruction, theft in Mukono land dispute
Boniface Kayongo, 36, a resident of Lugala, Rubaga Division in Kampala, and Hamuza Kisekka, 43, of Bulenga Kumwenda, Wakiso district, were on July 7, 2026, remanded to Kauga Government Prison after appearing before Grade One Magistrate Gerald Emwong to answer seven criminal charges linked to disputed land in Luwunga village, Mukono district.
Boniface Kayongo and Hamza Kiseeka appearing before Mukono Grade One Magistrate Omwong Gerald. (Credit: Eric Yiga)
MUKONO - A long-running land dispute in Mukono district has escalated into a criminal case after two men were arraigned before the Mukono Grade One Magistrate's Court over allegations of destroying crops, demolishing houses, stealing property worth millions of shillings and forcefully occupying contested land belonging to the estate of a deceased landowner.
Boniface Kayongo, 36, a resident of Lugala, Rubaga Division in Kampala, and Hamuza Kisekka, 43, of Bulenga Kumwenda, Wakiso district, were on July 7, 2026, remanded to Kauga Government Prison after appearing before Grade One Magistrate Gerald Emwong to answer seven criminal charges linked to disputed land in Luwunga village, Mukono district.
The prosecution alleges that the offences were committed between October and November 2025 on land identified as Kyaggwe Block 167, Plot 81, which is claimed by the estate of the late Joseph Kiwanuka.
The two accused were arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, which has intensified investigations into alleged land grabbing and fraudulent land transactions across the country.
According to the charge sheet presented before court, Kayongo, Kisekka and several accomplices who are still at large allegedly carried out a campaign of destruction targeting crops and developments on the disputed land.
Prosecutors allege they destroyed banana plantations, sugarcane, cassava, sweet potatoes, maize, tomatoes, eucalyptus trees and other naturally growing trees belonging to Paul Tooli, Moses Kiwanuka and Abbas Kayongo.
The prosecution further alleges that the destruction extended to buildings on the disputed property.
In one of the charges, the accused are said to have demolished three residential houses belonging to Stella Kiwanuka Bernadetta, the administrator of the estate of the late Joseph Kiwanuka.
They are accused of stealing four metallic water tanks valued at about sh25m and a water pumping machine worth approximately sh10m, bringing the total value of the allegedly stolen property to about sh35m.
The final charges relate to the alleged takeover of the land. Prosecutors contend that the accused, together with a group of people, forcefully entered the property, graded the land and unlawfully took possession despite knowing that it belonged to beneficiaries of the late Kiwanuka's estate.
Appearing for the state, senior state attorney Christine Ayebare informed court that investigations had been completed but requested additional time to organise witnesses and prepare the case for trial.
The defence applied for bail, arguing that the accused had spent a lengthy period in police custody and were entitled to temporary release pending trial.
Although Magistrate Emwong agreed that the offences are bailable under Ugandan law, he deferred the bail application hearing to July 22, 2026, and ordered that the accused remain on remand at Kauga Government Prison.
Before being led out of court, Kayongo challenged the prosecution's case, accusing the State House Anti-Corruption Unit of falsely implicating him in the dispute. He asked the court to independently establish the truth, insisting that the charges against him were unfounded.
The case highlights the growing criminal dimension of land disputes in central Uganda, where ownership conflicts that were previously handled as civil matters are increasingly resulting in allegations of violent evictions, property destruction and criminal prosecutions.
The matter returns to court on July 22 for the hearing of the accused's bail application and further directions on the commencement of the trial.