The High Court in Kampala has temporarily stopped directives issued by State Minister for Lands, Sam Mayanja, that aimed to cancel Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II’s land title for Plot 5 Kaazi—a 350-acre lakeside property. Justice Bonny Isaac Teko, in a July 18 ruling, issued an injunction barring the implementation of those orders until a related judicial review case is concluded. He noted the sensitive nature of land matters in Uganda, particularly in Buganda, and warned that the situation required urgent legal attention rather than passive observation.
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The court’s intervention followed a petition by Kabaka Mutebi and the Buganda Land Board (BLB), who challenged the legality of Minister Mayanja’s actions. The minister had visited the contested land in March and later issued 16 directives, including one instructing the cancellation of the Kabaka’s title, the deregistration of the BLB and Uganda Land Fund, and the removal of armed personnel from the site.
The Kabaka and BLB argued that the land is not just commercial property but part of Buganda’s official mailo estate—reinstated by law in 1993—and holds deep cultural, historical, and political value. They said losing it would result in irreparable harm that cannot be compensated financially. The court agreed that the minister’s directives raised serious legal questions, especially regarding the potential deregistration of BLB, which could trigger widespread legal and social disruption due to the numerous leases it has issued.
Justice Teko emphasized that these matters warrant thorough judicial scrutiny. Buganda’s Lands and Housing Minister, David Mpanga, welcomed the ruling and reiterated the kingdom’s stance against unlawful interference with its land rights, stating that they would continue to defend the Kabaka’s property through legal channels.
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