Turning to persistent accusations of land grabbing, Internal Affairs Minister Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Kahinda Otafire has dismissed claims that he illegally seized a government farm in Njeru, Mukono District locally known as the Square Mile land and used it for marijuana cultivation.
“These are baseless accusations,” Otafire stated. “I have never grabbed any government land. The land in question was purchased legally, and I possess the necessary documentation to prove ownership.”
Otafire explained that he bought 50 acres on Plot 3 from Enock Ssebbowa, heir to Christopher Lule, and another 50 acres on Plot 4 from Fredrick Kato Lukwajju in 2016. He stressed that these were private transactions backed by legitimate land titles.
His lawyer, Sam Ahamya, clarified that the land had previously hosted a government farm under lease, but when the state defaulted on rent, the original owners repossessed it in 2014. “There is a concerted effort to tarnish the minister’s reputation,” Ahamya added, calling the allegations politically motivated.
Background to Plot 3
Records show that Plot 3 was originally owned by the late Enoka Sebowa, who obtained it in 1923 under Final Certificate No. FC 15/33. In 1950, Sebowa and Guster Seruwo successfully sued Ham Mukasa for grabbing the land, leading to a High Court decision and a Buganda Lukiiko order returning it to the rightful owners.
Years later, Fred Lukwajju, a grandson of Sebowa, secured letters of administration from the Jinja High Court in 2009. The Registrar subsequently directed the Commissioner of Lands to issue special certificates of title in Lukwajju’s name. Plot 3 was then subdivided into several plots (283–296) and sold to multiple individuals and companies, including Shreeji Glass, Nile Ply, Modern Tiles, Seyani Brothers, Meta Plastics, Fiscal Stones, and Hon. Kahinda Otafire.
Court Disputes and Current Status
In 2018, Elizabeth Nanteza Nabeta filed Civil Suit No. 183 at the High Court in Jinja seeking cancellation of titles created from Plot 3. The court ruled in her favour, ordering the Commissioner of Lands to reinstate her claim. However, legal experts argue that the case was heard without involving current landowners, affecting over 35 industries and individuals who bought land as bona fide purchasers.
Livingstone Lukabwe, a third-party purchaser, has filed Misc. Applications 123 and 124 of 2025 before Justice Seninde at the newly created Lugazi High Court, seeking a stay and review of the decision.
Questions Over Locus Standi
Further scrutiny has revealed that Nabeta’s letters of administration were cancelled in Civil Suit 87 of 2012 through a consent judgment before Justice Edmund Sempa Lugayizi, raising questions about her legal standing to file the 2018 suit.
Legal practitioners have warned that enforcing the Jinja High Court decree could destabilize ownership for numerous industries, corporate entities, and individuals who legally acquired interests in the land. They urge that the matter be handled cautiously to avoid far-reaching economic and legal consequences.