70-Year-Old Woman Charged for Land Fraud

Kate Nankanja, 70, who claims to be the landlord of a disputed square mile of land in Luwero has been charged with fraud and trespass. Recently, Nankanja claimed ownership of a square mile of land in Bubuubi parish, Zirobwe sub-county in Luwero district. The land originally belonged to her late grandfather, Tito Sekimaka, who passed away in 1931. Sekimaka left succession certificates for the distribution of the square mile of land among his 10 children. 

Subsequently, the children sold their respective shares to different individuals, resulting in the creation of 160 land titles from the initial block 90, plot 2. Currently, the land is occupied by over 5,000 people, including landlords and tenants. Nankanja has sold several pieces of land and, with the support of security agencies, arrested several residents to forcefully evict them from the land. 

Among those arrested are Abdul Mpiima, the LC 11 Chairperson of Bubuubi parish, and Godfrey Kazibwe, the LC 1 Chairman of Bubuubi village. They were arrested for allegedly inciting violence after leading residents to resist eviction, only to be released following protests from district councilors.   On Wednesday, Nankanja appeared before the Luwero Chief Magistrate’s Court where she was charged with fraud and criminal trespass on land belonging to Sarah Kyosingira. 

She was charged with the same offense regarding the land owned by Joyce Nankabirwa and Mukasa Livingstone. Kyosingira acquired 60 acres of land from Milly Najjuma, the daughter of the late Sekimaka but Nankanja allegedly fraudulently sold a portion of it. Represented by her lawyer, Barnabas Kokyenga of Songone and Company advocates, Nankanja requested bail, citing her advanced age. The lawyer also informed the court that he had not yet received a copy of the case files.

Luwero Magistrate Mariam Nalugya Ssemwanga granted Nankanja bail and adjourned the case to October 30, 2023, for a hearing. Nankanja declined to comment when approached by journalists for an interview and instead boarded her lawyer's car, and they sped off. Sperito Kiroli, the LC 3 Chairman of Zirobwe sub-county, and the affected residents welcomed the prosecution, accusing her of mistreatment and land grabbing. 

Brian Mukiibi, a grandson of the late Sekimaka, stated that Nankanja emerged with letters of administration which she used to sell several pieces of land, including those with genuine land titles. Mukiibi added that their efforts to block Nankanja from selling their land had been hindered because she had compromised security institutions in the district. Nonetheless, he expressed satisfaction that the state attorney had sanctioned criminal charges against her following a thorough investigation.

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Sperito Kiroli, the LC 3 Chairman of Zirobwe sub-county, noted that his area is a hotspot for land conflicts, partly due to individuals who collude with family members, such as Nankanja, to fraudulently sell land to others. 

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It's worth noting that Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi also acquired a private mailo land of 70 acres at the disputed land, but Nankanja attempted to sell part of it before facing charges of trespass in the high court of Kampala. Defense lawyer Barnabas Kokyenga insists that Nankanja is the rightful owner of the land and that she acquired letters of administration from the administrator general. 

According to the Police crime report, Luwero District recorded the highest number of cases of malicious damage to property in the country in 2022, with 172 cases reported. The report also indicated that Luwero ranked third in terms of the highest number of cases of criminal trespass, with 191 cases registered.