By Mulengera Reporters
Kasangati Town Council Mayor Baker Kazibwe has been implicated in a protracted family land dispute in Wampeewo-Luteete, Wakiso District, with children of the late Musa Ssekeba accusing him of allegedly turning against them after initially seeking his intervention to protect their family property.
The dispute involves a 55-decimal piece of Kibanja land situated in Luteete A, Kelezia Zone, Masooli Ward, along the Kampala-Gayaza Highway, which is estimated to be worth Shs120 million.
The Ssekeba family alleges that what initially appeared to be an intervention by the mayor to resolve the land wrangle later turned into an alleged attempt to acquire the property, which the family claims belong to the estate of their late father.
The contested land is at the centre of Civil Suit No. 56 of 2026 before the Chief Magistrate’s Court of Kasangati, where Mohammed Ssekeba and Safina Namusisi, administrators of the estate of the late Musa Ssekeba, have sued their aunties Sarah Mbejja and Olivia Nakalyowa, who administer the estate of the late Juma Musoke.
Family’s historical claim to the land
According to court documents, the disputed land originally belonged to the family’s great-grandmother, the late Eseza Nabunya, who allegedly owned approximately five acres in Luteete.
The plaintiffs contend that Nabunya, who was the biological mother of Juma Musoke, gifted Musa Ssekeba a portion measuring approximately 150 feet by 150 feet during her lifetime.
They state that Musa took possession of the land in the 1980s, constructed a residential house and rental units and remained in occupation until his death in 2015.
His children reportedly continued occupying the property and collecting rental income for the benefit of the estate’s beneficiaries.
The family further maintains that when Juma Musoke died in 1986, his remaining land, estimated at approximately four acres, was distributed among his children, with Musa participating in the distribution and retaining his own share.
The plaintiffs argue that the other beneficiaries received their respective portions, including land at Bunono in Entebbe, leaving no basis for the disputed Luteete property to be included in Musoke’s estate.
Alleged attempts to take over the property
The Ssekeba family alleges that tensions escalated when Sarah Mbejja and Olivia Nakalyowa, together with other relatives, started visiting the property and allegedly attempting to persuade the deceased’s children to sell it.
According to the family, they rejected the proposals because they believed the land belonged to their father’s estate and could not be sold without their consent.
They further allege that their relatives subsequently resorted to criminal proceedings against Mohammed Ssekeba in what they describe as an attempt to have him imprisoned and weaken the family’s ability to defend the property.
The family maintains that the criminal proceedings did not establish the allegations against him and that he was subsequently released by court.
They also accuse their relatives of later occupying the property and taking prospective buyers around it without their consent.
The situation reportedly escalated when construction of a perimeter wall commenced around the disputed property.
The Ssekeba family says they reported the matter to police, who intervened and arrested some of the people involved in the construction.
However, they allege that construction later resumed, prompting them to seek further police intervention.
Accuse Kasangati police commanders of turning against them
The family claims that the Kasangati Division Police Commander (DPC) and the Officer in Charge of Magere Police Post subsequently visited the property following complaints about the construction.
According to the family, the officers initially appeared willing to assist them in stopping the alleged encroachment.
However, they accuse the police commanders of later changing their position and demanding that the family produce a court order before police could intervene to stop the construction of the perimeter wall.
The family questions why the people constructing the wall were allowed to continue despite allegedly failing to produce documents authorising them to undertake the construction.
They contend that the police intervention ultimately favoured those seeking to enclose the disputed property rather than protecting the family’s interests.
The concerned police officers have not provided their account in the information available to this publication.
Shs3m and Shs6m allegedly demanded for access to land protection officials
After what they describe as unsuccessful attempts to obtain assistance from local police, the Ssekeba family says they reported the matter to the Police Land Protection Unit in Makindye, which they identify as being commanded by Afande James Kusemererwa.
They allege that the unit referred them to the State House Land Protection Unit (SHLPU) in Wandegeya.
However, the family claims they were asked to pay Shs3 million to facilitate their connection to SHLPU.
They subsequently encountered a man identified only as Isaac, who allegedly offered to connect them to Mayor Kazibwe.
According to the family, Isaac demanded Shs6 million to facilitate a meeting with the mayor.
They claim that the money was paid and that they subsequently met Kazibwe, who reportedly promised to intervene in the dispute.
The family says the mayor later ordered the stoppage of the perimeter wall construction and the demolition of the section that had already been erected.
The development reportedly raised their hopes that the local authority would help protect their property.
Mayor allegedly develops interest in the property
However, the family now alleges that the mayor subsequently developed an interest in acquiring the contested land.
They claim that Kazibwe visited and inspected the property before reportedly engaging them in discussions about a possible purchase.
According to their account, the mayor had learnt that a Somali businessman was interested in purchasing the property and establishing a fuel station there.
The family alleges that Kazibwe offered them Shs250 million for the land, an offer they rejected.
They claim that the Somali businessman was prepared to pay approximately Shs700 million, comprising Shs250 million for the land and Shs450 million for the developments and properties on it.
The family reportedly indicated willingness to relocate the family burial ground to another location as part of the proposed transaction.
However, they maintain that they were unwilling to accept the mayor’s alleged offer because they considered it substantially lower than the amount being discussed with the prospective Somali buyer.
The mayor is further accused of allegedly seeking to acquire the property before selling it to Kasangati businessman Patrick Ssekijema, popularly known as Binzaali, who is known for his curry powder business, reportedly established by his late mother in the late 1980s.
These claims concerning the alleged purchase negotiations and the mayor’s intentions remain allegations by the Ssekeba family.
Alleged plot to attack Mohammed Ssekeba
The family further alleges that after rejecting the proposed Shs250 million deal, Mohammed Ssekeba became a target of an alleged plan to attack him.
They claim that Isaac alerted them to an alleged plot to have Mohammed stabbed.
According to the family, Mohammed was subsequently asked to provide Shs6 million to mobilise youths from the ghetto who would help protect him and his siblings against a group of alleged attackers commonly referred to as Kifeesi.
They claim that when the suspected attackers eventually arrived, they encountered a larger group of youths who had reportedly been mobilised to protect the family, resulting in a confrontation that forced the attackers to flee.
The family further reports that earlier this month, a group of youths allegedly attacked the property and set fire to the boys’ quarters, commonly referred to as guest rooms.
They claim the attackers had intended to burn other buildings on the property but were confronted by youths who had been engaged to provide security.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged attacks, the identity of the perpetrators and any possible connection to the land dispute remain matters requiring independent verification and police investigation.
Village leaders allegedly pressured to approve sale
The Ssekeba family also accuses Mayor Kazibwe of allegedly using individuals within the local community to monitor the situation and pressure them into selling the property.
They specifically identify Saul Ssemakula, whom they describe as a prominent figure in local land transactions and a land blocker, as the person allegedly being used to monitor developments on the property.
Ssemakula is also identified by the family as the chairperson of the neighbourhood village in Wampeewo.
The family further claims that the Kelezia Zone, Masooli Ward Chairperson, Nasanayiri Kyeyune, declined to sign documents relating to the sale of the property without the involvement and consent of Musa Ssekeba’s children.
They allege that the aunties had attempted to pressure the local leader into endorsing the transaction, including through the mayor’s alleged involvement.
The family also questions the circumstances under which their aunties obtained Letters of Administration relating to Juma Musoke’s estate, claiming that the documents were obtained using information from their Bunono village in Entebbe and were subsequently used to advance what they describe as a fraudulent sale.
They further allege that the aunties are now relying on Diamond Advocates to facilitate the contested transaction.
RDC accused of failing to intervene
The Ssekeba family says they also approached the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Kasangati, Juma Kigongo, seeking intervention to protect the property.
However, they accuse the Deputy RDC of failing to act on their complaints, alleging that the files were left unattended despite repeated attempts to obtain assistance.
They claim that the matter only attracted further attention after they learnt that the complaints had been referred to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI).
The family says it has also written to the Police Land Protection Unit in Makindye and the Professional Standards Unit (PSU), raising complaints against the Kasangati DPC and the OC Magere Police Post over their alleged conduct in handling the matter.
Family turns to lawyers as dispute heads to court
With the dispute escalating, Mohammed Ssekeba and his siblings have sought legal assistance from KOB Advocates & Solicitors to protect their interests in the contested property.
Mohammed and Safina Namusisi, as administrators of their late father’s estate, have already instituted Civil Suit No. 56 of 2026 against Sarah Mbejja and Olivia Nakalyowa at the Chief Magistrate’s Court of Kasangati.
In the suit, they want court to declare that the 55-decimal property belongs to the estate of Musa Ssekeba and does not form part of Juma Musoke’s estate.
They are also seeking a permanent injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants or anyone claiming through them from selling, transferring, disposing of, developing or otherwise interfering with the property.
Additionally, they are seeking general damages, interest and costs of the suit.
The plaintiffs have cited a previous High Court decision in Civil Appeal No. 58 of 2012, which they say recognised their late father’s ownership of the disputed property.
They have also referred to Criminal Case No. 266 of 2024, which they say was dismissed for lack of evidence establishing that the contested property belonged to Juma Musoke’s estate.
The civil suit is yet to be determined, and no final court decision has been made on ownership of the disputed land or the allegations against the defendants.
The allegations involving Mayor Baker Kazibwe, police officers, local leaders and other individuals also remain unproven. The named individuals and institutions should be given an opportunity to respond to the allegations thought efforts to obtain their comment were still fruitless at the time of publishing this story. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
