WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES
Government cancels Pastor Kakande’s Mubende land titles
Published
7 years agoon

Government has cancelled land titles which had been issued to Pastor Samuel Kakande for the 26 square miles of land he acquired in Mubende District.
Pastor Kakande, who heads the Kampala based Synagogue Church of All Nations, had reportedly planned to use the land to expand his rice scheme.
The affected residents are spread in 56 villages. The cancellation is in response to Mubende District Land Board secretary, Ms Mary Jessica Nankabirwa who admitted that the process of giving away land to Pastor Kakande was marred by gross irregularities.
“… this is therefore to inform you that this office has gone ahead to cancel the said certificates of title mentioned above. The complainants as may thus go ahead and apply to the land board for their land,” reads part of the letter written by the senior registrar of titles at the ministry of lands, Ms Aisha Kibira.
The disputed land has over 10,000 sitting tenants spread in two Sub Counties of Manyogaseka and Kiganda.
On January 22, 2018, Ms Nankabirwa wrote to the registrar of titles in the ministry of Lands saying they had revoked a resolution that had granted Pastor Kakande lease to utilize the land.
Mubende District had issued two copies of freehold land titles to Pastor Kakande.
One of the canceled titles was in the names of Mechanised Agro Uganda Limited where Pastor Kakande is the biggest shareholder. Other shareholders are Mr Jonathan Byabasaija, Ms Joy Male, Mr Jonson Mwanguzi and Ms Eva Nakatudde.
The land titles
Mechanised Agro Uganda Limited was allocated 13 square miles on Block 436, Plot 33 in Ndeeba Village, Kiganda Sub County. The second title was in the names of Pride Chick Uganda Ltd where Pastor Kakande and his secretary, Ms Noeline Ndagire, are shareholders.
The land, measuring 13 square miles, is on Block 436, Plot 34, in Lwakabuutu Village, Singo. Both titles were issued on August 4, 2016.
When news of cancelling the titles reached Mubende on Monday, the sitting tenants were seen celebrating.
Kasanda South MP Mr Simeo Nsubuga who is the area MP mobilized residents to celebrate this milestone and commended government for listening to the cries of poor residents.
“If people in the Ministry of Land continue to care about the plight of the poor Ugandans who are pushed off their land like they have done in this case, I am sure the current episodes where people are deprived of their land by rich people will come to an end,” he said.
The tenants had earlier complained that they were not given first priority, as stipulated in the law to buy the land and develop it.
They claim that the district officials had frustrated all their efforts to regularise their tenancy on the land, claiming that it is a forest reserve.
Meanwhile, after detecting the anomalies in the land titles in January this year, Pastor Kakande through his lawyers, Bakara Legal Associated Advocates unconditionally surrendered the duplicate certificates of title to the district land board for cancelation. In a letter dated January 16, 2018, a copy of which Daily Monitor has seen, Pastor Kakande’s lawyers, said though their client was the registered proprietor of the disputed land, they had discovered that the sitting tenants’ claim had merit.
“Therefore, our clients have taken a decision to forward the said two duplicate certificates of title to you [Mubende District Land Board] unconditionally for cancelation. Kindly acknowledge receipt thereof in writing,” Julius Mukholi Wamukota, one of Pastor Kakande’s lawyers, wrote.
Pastor Kakande already owns rice schemes in Kibaale, Masindi and Masaka Districts.
He was, however, last year faulted by the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire-led Commission of Inquiry into land matters for destroying wetlands on the shores of Lake Victoria in Masaka and ordered to halt all his activities.
Mubende, is one of the few remaining districts with vast arable land and the area has been the scene of intense land wrangles for many years which have led to loss of lives in some villages.
Source: Daily Monitor
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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES
Top 10 agribusiness giants: corporate concentration in food & farming in 2025
Published
2 days agoon
June 19, 2025
Today a handful of agribusiness corporations have consolidated unprecedented control over the world’s food supply, with devastating consequences for farmers, consumers and the planet. A new report by ETC Group and GRAIN examines the state of corporate concentration in six sectors critical to agriculture: commercial seeds, pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, farm machinery, animal pharmaceuticals and livestock genetics.
Corporate consolidation is increasing in most of these sectors and four of them– seeds, pesticides, agricultural machinery and animal pharmaceuticals– now meet the definition of an oligopoly, in which four companies control more than 40% of a market. Concentration can be even higher at the national level, as is the case with synthetic fertilisers.
Top findings from the report include:
- Oligopolies dominate key sectors: Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta, and BASF control 56% of the global commercial seeds market, and 61% of the pesticides market.
- Profiteering amid global crises: Agribusiness giants have exploited crises like the Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic to inflate prices. Fertiliser companies, for instance, saw revenues soar by 57% from 2020 to 2023, with some accused of price gouging.
- Digital and biotech expansion: Corporations are rapidly integrating AI, gene editing, and digital platforms into agriculture through partnerships with Big Tech companies. These technologies enable data extraction from farmers, facilitate carbon credit schemes, and tighter control over food systems—while raising concerns about biosafety, privacy, and corporate monopolies.
Source: grassrootsonline
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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES
Land grabbers evict 360,000 Ugandans in 2024
Published
7 months agoon
November 20, 2024
A staggering 363,021 Ugandans were displaced due to forced land evictions between January and June 2024, according to a new report by Witness Radio Uganda.
The report documented 90 cases of land evictions during this period, with nearly four incidents occurring weekly, affecting over 15,126 people and threatening 5,060 hectares of land nationwide.
The Central region was the epicenter, recording 52 eviction cases, followed by 24 in the Western region, eight in the Northern region, and six in the Eastern region. Alarmingly, the report estimated that 2,160 Ugandans face eviction daily, with 723 hectares of land at risk of being grabbed every day.
VIOLENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Despite government promises and directives from President Museveni to halt evictions, land grabbers have routinely ignored these orders, often resorting to violence. Armed security forces, private militias, and police were reported to have carried out the majority of the evictions.
Of the reported cases, 37 were enforced by armed gangs on behalf of evictors, 25 involved Uganda Police, five were carried out with the participation of UPDF soldiers, and four were linked to private security companies.
“The egregious levels of impunity exhibited by land grabbers have left communities defenseless, creating an environment where their human rights are trampled without consequence,” said Jeff Wokulira Ssebaggala, country director of Witness Radio Uganda.
He called for accountability and justice, warning that the unchecked power of influential individuals and entities leaves marginalized communities vulnerable and without recourse.
DRIVERS OF EVICTIONS: INDUSTRIALIZATION AND LAND-BASED INVESTMENTS
The report identified the government’s push for industrialization and land-based investments as the primary drivers of forced evictions. Land is increasingly targeted for oil and gas extraction, mining, agribusiness and tree plantations for carbon offsets. While some of this land is already under development, other parcels remain vacant but are guarded by military personnel and private security firms.
Ssebaggala emphasized that industrialization must balance economic development with the protection of smallholder farmers’ rights to land and food security.
TRAGIC STORIES
The report highlighted harrowing cases that underscore the human toll of forced evictions. In Nakasongola, smallholder farmer Dan Ssebyala was ambushed and killed by armed men following a confrontation over disputed land. The district has become a hotspot for violent evictions involving absentee landlords and powerful investors.
Ismael Bwowe, a disabled father of 20, recounted how his land was confiscated after he demanded fair compensation. He faced intimidation, arrests and false charges from state authorities, including being accused of robbing an influential individual. Bwowe claimed that Total Energies offered legal support and representation on the condition that he accept their compensation terms.
“I refused,” he said, adding that the pressure to relinquish his land remains intense. The report underscores the urgent need for reforms to address forced evictions, ensure accountability, and protect the rights of vulnerable communities. Without meaningful intervention, Uganda risks deepening inequality and undermining the livelihoods of smallholder farmers who are essential to the country’s food security.
FAMILY JAILED AMID LAND DISPUTE
The plight of Richard Ssebagala, his wife Prossy Namande, and their relative Anania Ngabirano, residents of Kabubu-Kabongo village in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso district, highlights the human toll of Uganda’s ongoing land disputes. The family spent nine months in prison following their arrest on January 10, 2024, under controversial circumstances.
ARREST AND ALLEGATIONS
The arrests occurred at 1am, during a raid by officers from Luweero police station. Police reportedly banged on the doors and forcefully detained the family, accusing them of aggravated robbery. However, the family believes the arrest was a tactic linked to a land dispute with Benon Ntambi, a man who allegedly grabbed their land.
Before the arrests, Ntambi had reportedly destroyed crops, including tomatoes, potatoes, and bananas, on the contested land. While the family was incarcerated, a new building was constructed on their land, which is now occupied, raising further questions about the motivations behind their detention.
CALLS FOR JUSTICE
The case has drawn attention from Witness Radio Uganda, which has urged the government to take immediate action to address land grabbing and illegal evictions. The organization emphasized the need to strengthen land laws and protect vulnerable communities from abuses.
It also called for greater accountability in institutions such as the Uganda Police Force, the army and land registries, which are often accused of corruption and favoritism toward the wealthy.
“The government must prioritize justice for victims of illegal evictions and address systemic corruption that leaves the poor defenseless against land grabbers,” Witness Radio Uganda stated.
BROADER CONTEXT
This case underscores the broader issue of land conflicts in Uganda, where vulnerable families are often caught in disputes with powerful individuals or entities. Advocacy groups warn that the failure to address these issues not only erodes public trust but also perpetuates inequality and injustice.
As the government faces mounting pressure to act, the story of Ssebagala and his family serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for reforms to protect land rights and ensure justice for those impacted by land disputes.
Source: The Observer
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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES
Uganda: Community members violently evicted by security forces, allegedly related to EACOP; incl. co. responses
Published
7 months agoon
November 18, 2024
On 10 February 2023, more than 2,500 community members were forcibly evicted from their land in Kapapi village in Hoima district in Western Uganda by security forces, receiving no compensation or resettlement.
Witness Radio, an Ugandan non-profit organisation comprised of human rights investigative journalists, lawyers, and social workers, said that many people were wounded during the eviction, women were raped, and houses were destroyed.
Witness Radio said its investigations found that this eviction occurred to clear the path for the Tilenga feeder pipeline, part of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). According to Witness Radio, in 2022 Kapapi community members’ land was surveyed for the Tilenga pipeline and people were informed they would be compensated for the land. Instead, they were forcibly evicted, which Witness Radio allege was backed and financed by Swacoff Intertrade Company Limited, known to TotalEnergies. They also allege that guards from private security company Magnum Security were involved. Witness Radio has also found that dozens of local farmers who were evicted have been arbitrarily arrested and face criminal charges.
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited TotalEnergies, Swacoff Intertrade Company Limited, and Magnum Security to respond to the allegations. TotalEnergies responded and stated that no land eviction activities had been carried out by or on behalf of TotalEnergies EP Uganda (TEPU) and EACOP Ltd and that none of the affected people are Tilenga or EACOP Project Affected Persons. Swacoff responded and said that the company has never engaged in forceful eviction of any sort and asserts that these allegations are completely false. Their full responses and rejoinders from Witness Radio are available below. Magnum Security did not respond.
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Resource Center
- LAND GRABS AT GUNPOINT REPORT IN KIRYANDONGO DISTRICT
- RESEARCH BRIEF -TOURISM POTENTIAL OF GREATER MASAKA -MARCH 2025
- The Mouila Declaration of the Informal Alliance against the Expansion of Industrial Monocultures
- FORCED LAND EVICTIONS IN UGANDA TRENDS RIGHTS OF DEFENDERS IMPACT AND CALL FOR ACTION
- 12 KEY DEMANDS FROM CSOS TO WORLD LEADERS AT THE OPENING OF COP16 IN SAUDI ARABIA
- PRESENDIANTIAL DIRECTIVE BANNING ALL LAND EVICTIONS IN UGANDA
- FROM LAND GRABBERS TO CARBON COWBOYS A NEW SCRAMBLE FOR COMMUNITY LANDS TAKES OFF
- African Faith Leaders Demand Reparations From The Gates Foundation.