The Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, has instructed his legal team to take action against Dr. Sam Mayanja, the Minister of State for Lands, for allegedly disregarding court rulings regarding the Kaazi land, owned by the Kingdom.
At a press conference in Mengo, Buganda’s Attorney General, Mr. Christopher Bwanika, condemned the minister’s recent actions, including instructing the Registrar General of the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) to deregister the Buganda Land Board, the institution managing the Kabaka’s land.
Mr. Bwanika labeled the minister’s actions as “contempt of court” and confirmed that the Kabaka’s legal team would file a lawsuit against him.
The disputed Kaazi land, located in Block 273, Plot 5, was originally allocated to the Kabaka of Buganda in the 1900 Agreement. While Kabaka Daudi Chwa II received the land under the agreement, he did not own it personally but held it in his official capacity, a principle followed by successive Kabakas.
In 1948, the land was leased to the Uganda Scouts Association for 49 years. However, following the abolition of Kingdoms in 1967, the government took control. The land was returned to the Kabaka in 1993, and the Buganda Land Board has managed it ever since.
Mr. Bwanika highlighted that the Uganda Land Commission and the Scouts Association acted unlawfully by creating subleases without the Kabaka’s consent. In 2020, the Kabaka won a legal battle against false claimants, further solidifying his ownership.
Buganda Land Board spokesperson, Mr. Denis Bugaya, stated that preparations to sue Minister Mayanja for abuse of office are complete. He emphasized that this legal action is necessary to protect the Kabaka’s authority and prevent misleading claims about the land.