By Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa/Umoja Standard.
Kampala, Uganda: After a five-year legal battle, the Buganda Land Board (BLB) has emerged victorious against the Uganda Tea Growers Corporation (UTGC) in a dispute over the Singo Mailo land in Mityana.
The High Court in Mubende District ruled in favor of BLB, declaring the lease title held by UTGC null and void.
The dispute began in 1997 when UTGC leased the land from the Mubende District Land Board for five years, renewable thereafter.
However, in 2019, UTGC took BLB to court, accusing it of trespassing on the land after BLB sold it to two individuals, Bogere Rachael and Robinah Semitala.
UTGC claimed that BLB had no authority to allocate the land, but BLB countered that the land was part of the official mailo estate of the Kabaka of Buganda and under its jurisdiction.
Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi ruled that the Mubende District Land Board had no authority to allocate land in Mityana District, and that the lease was illegally created on official mailo land.
The court also found that UTGC, being in liquidation, could not acquire new assets during liquidation.
The ruling has significant implications for the management of Kabaka’s land.
According to Mr. Dennis Bugaya, Lawyer and Spokesperson of BLB, the court’s decision reaffirms BLB’s authority over Kabaka’s land, following the 2013 agreement between the Kingdom and Government.
The ruling also underscores that district land boards cannot lease out or issue titles on Kabaka’s land without proper authorization.
Following the landmark ruling, the Kingdom (Buganda) has reclaimed the disputed land, which is now being used for a mega-hospital project by Mengo authorities.