By the Witness Radio team.
In Buvuma District, a group of Bibanja holders drove away surveyors and protested what they regarded as land-grabbing for palm oil cultivation. Residents state they have lawfully occupied the land for over seven decades. In Uganda, a Kibanja holder is a tenant who uses land without an official, registered title.
Under the 1995 Constitution of Uganda and the Land Act (Cap 227), Kibanja holders are legally recognized as lawful or bona fide occupants. This grants them significant security of tenure and protects them from arbitrary or illegal evictions.
According to sources, surveyors reportedly supported by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) attempted land demarcation, mapping, and surveying without following due process. The RDC represents the president’s office at the district level.
The land is being claimed by Mutamba Berna, Bagagga Ali, and Nalugo Swabulah, who, according to residents, began forcibly opening boundaries in May.
More than 30 Bibanja holders report that individuals described as land grabbers are using the Resident District Commissioner’s office to conduct surveys and demarcate land without their consent.
“We have lived on this land all our lives, and now people we have never known are appearing and using the office of the RDC as a cover. They have started forceful land measurements,” Ambrose told Witness Radio.
Residents say over 45 hectares in Kigobero Village, Bukinarwa Parish, Buwooya Sub-county are threatened.
Ambrose Wazaabwe, 76, who was born and raised on the disputed land, never expected strangers to challenge the ownership his family has depended on for generations.
“I only heard rumors that landlords would take our land. Later, they started boundary surveys without our consent,” he said.
Ambrose, a farmer, relies on his five-acre plot for his family’s survival and says he is unsure how they will survive if evicted.
“I mainly farm cassava, bananas, and sweet potatoes. I also keep animals and use the income to support my family of seven,” he added.
Ambrose is among more than 30 Bibanja holders facing threats of a land eviction by a group of individuals identified as Mutamba Berna, Bagagga Ali, and Nalugo Swabulah, who have recently surfaced and are claiming ownership of the land.
Witness Radio investigations reveal that the disputed land is registered under mailo, one of Uganda’s tenure systems. Originally, Plot 1, Block 34, was registered in the name of Mulinya Yokaana (deceased), who acquired it in 1936. Since then, the land has changed hands several times, with recent claimants appearing after a 2016 transfer.
Land documents seen by Witness Radio show that in 2016, Nalugo, Lugoloobi Ibrahim, Bagagga Ali, and Babirye Aidah acquired the land, reportedly without informing Bibanja holders. In 2024, the title changed and is now under Mutamba Berna, Bagaga Ali, and Nalugo Swabulah. Witness Radio cannot verify the authenticity of these documents or whether proper notification or procedures were followed during the transfers.
When contacted, Nalugo Swabulah, one of the landlords, asserted that they are the late Yokaana’s grandchildren and rightful landowners.
The individuals allegedly sought the RDC’s help to claim the land earlier.
Isaac Kizito, another affected resident, first met the alleged landlords at the RDC’s office.
“The RDC called us to meet alleged landowners. We’d never seen them, and they didn’t seem to know each other. Next, boundaries were marked,” he said.
Ambrose says the alleged grabbers never provide documents authorizing them to survey.
“They act illegally and bring no orders. Sometimes they come at night. If right, why hide? Worst, government offices support them,” he added.
Mr. Aisu Charles, former Buwooya chairperson, doubts Swabulah’s group owns the land and suggests their documents may be forged.
“During my term, some claimed to be Yokaana’s grandchildren. When Swabulah’s group came, we found their claims lacking detail and consistency. We asked for more proof, which they never gave,” he said.
Witness Radio contacted RDC Hawah Namugenyi, who is alleged to support the claimed landlords; she declined to comment.
Per President Museveni’s directives, no evictions occur without a District Security Committee meeting led by the RDC and with the Ministry of Lands.
Nalugo Swabulah maintained that she has ownership rights over the land, insisting she holds a valid land title registered in her name and those of her relatives.
“It is not true that I am an absentee landlord. I have documents that prove our ownership of the land. Let those who claim ownership also present their documents,” she said.
Musagala Atanansi, land rights defender and Buwooya Sub-county chairperson, said Buvuma has long faced illegal land evictions by absent landlords.
“Some land grabbers seize land fraudulently. I have never seen Nalugo and her group as locals. They now market the land for sale. We, as leaders, ask—what’s the rush?” he said.
