Buganda Kingdom has asked the Ministry of Lands to effect the cancellation of the land title of plot 923 on block 9. The land title houses Ham towers. The kingdom through Buganda Land Board argues that the plot was illegally created after an illegal subdivision of Kabaka’s land on plot 440 block 9 to create plot 923.
The kingdom also cites illegalities during the acquisition of the land by Kiggundu from the defunct KCC yet it was not the controlling authority.
A search at the Lands Ministry shows that block 9 plot 440 out of which plot 923 was created is still registered in the names of the Kabaka of Buganda by virtue of his office. However, a status search of the disputed land (block 9, plot 923) at the lands ministry showed no results, but the system shows that Kabaka’s official mailo is still intact.
Despite showing no results, the disputed title is among the titles used by Ham Kiggundu in securing loans from banks like Exim bank, Orient bank according to court documents.
The kingdom first wrote to the Ham enterprises urging it to regularise its tenancy on the land. However, Ham enterprises adamantly refused to heed Buganda Land Board’s call. So, the kingdom wrote to the ministry asking it to cancel the title. Now the kingdom wants the ministry to effect the cancellation.
According to the BLB Spokesperson Dennis Bugaya, all people who have illegally acquired land titles on kingdom land are first advised to go to Buganda Land Board and regularise their tenancy.
“When negotiations fail, we then resort to petitioning the Ministry of Lands for cancellation. In the matter of Mr Kiggundu, we first talked to him and he was non responsive. We then petitioned for cancellation and we are optimistic that the commissioner/ministry will soon start the cancellation process,” he said.
“We have been following up on this matter regularly and we hope the cancellation process will start soon.”
This is not the only land that Buganda has accused Ham Kiggundu of grabbing. It should be remembered that Buganda has already asked the Ministry of Lands to cancel Ham’s Kigo land titles which the kingdom says were illegally created as Free hold WAK 6104, folio 25, Kyadondo block 273, plots 23974, 23975 and 23976 over Kabaka’s mailo land block of 273.
Earlier, The Ag. Commissioner of Land registration, Baker Mugaino ordered for cancellation of Kiggundu’s title, saying that there was a title overlay against titles that were issued earlier. Consequently, Kiggundu dragged the Kabaka to court over the matter and it is pending before court.
