The High Court in Entebbe has rejected an attempt by Movit Products Limited to secure an early ruling recognising it as the lawful owner of about 32 acres of disputed land in Sazi Buwaya, Wakiso District.
Lady Justice Flavia Nabakooza ruled that the competing claims over the property cannot be settled through a judgment on admission and must instead be determined at a full trial.
Movit had sought to rely on a Ministry of Lands report showing that three disputed plots are registered in the company’s name. But the judge said the report did not amount to a clear admission by the government that Movit has exclusive ownership and possession of the property.
The dispute stems from Civil Suit No. 395 of 2024, filed by Movit against the Attorney General over land described as Busiro Block 536, Plot Numbers 1677, 1678 and 1679, covering approximately 32 acres.
Movit asked the court to declare it the lawful owner of the property and find that the Uganda Prisons Service was trespassing on the land.
The company also sought an order requiring the government agency to vacate the property, a permanent injunction preventing further occupation and costs of the application.
However, Justice Nabakooza found that the evidence before the court was insufficient to determine those issues without a full hearing.
She said a judgment on admission could only be granted where an admission was “plain, clear, unambiguous and unconditional” and left no substantive issue requiring a trial.
The Registrar of Titles had confirmed that certificates of title covering the three plots remain active and are registered in the names of Movit Products Uganda Limited.
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But the judge said confirmation of registration did not settle the competing interests being asserted over the property.
“The fact that the Respondent, in its defence, claims that its agent has an interest in the said land adds to that,” Justice Nabakooza ruled.
She said the government’s defence raised questions that could only be properly resolved after evidence from the parties had been heard.
The court also considered another pending case involving claims over the same property.
Civil Suit FD No. 019 of 2025, previously registered as No. 415 of 2024, was filed by Damulira Chibby against the Attorney General and 23 other parties.
According to the ruling, that case includes competing claims connected to the distribution and transfer of the estate of the late Damulira Bulazi.
Justice Nabakooza said the existence of the related proceedings further demonstrated that there was no unequivocal admission of Movit’s ownership or of liability by the government that would justify determining the case without a trial.
Movit’s argument
Movit had argued that investigations carried out by the Attorney General, including a Ministry of Lands report dated 13 November 2025, had conclusively confirmed its ownership of the three plots.
The company maintained that continuing with a full trial despite those findings would unnecessarily delay the resolution of the dispute.
The Attorney General opposed the application, arguing that the Lands ministry’s findings merely confirmed details contained in the land registry.
The government said the report did not amount to an admission that Movit had exclusive ownership rights over the property or that the Uganda Prisons Service was unlawfully occupying it.
The court accepted that argument and dismissed Movit’s application.
Justice Nabakooza said the question of costs arising from the application would be determined as part of the main case.
The substantive dispute, now registered as Entebbe Civil Suit No. 0256 of 2025 and arising from the original HCCS No. 395 of 2024, is scheduled to return to court for mention on 24 September 2026.
The case forms part of a wider dispute involving approximately 202 acres of land in Sazi Buwaya. Movit claims ownership of several plots within the disputed area, including the roughly 32 acres covered by its unsuccessful application for an early judgment.
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