By BM
In a jaw-dropping revelation that has shaken Uganda’s land and political elite, State Minister for Lands, Dr. Sam Mayanja, has declared over 300 land titles in Bulindo null and void exposing what could be the largest land scam in the country’s history.
Among those poised to lose properties worth billions are high-ranking government officials, retired army officers, and moneyed elites all of whom unknowingly bought what Mayanja is now calling “air titles.”
The Minister made the explosive announcement during a tense community meeting at St Francis Primary School in Bulindo, where he presented a year-long investigation report to stunned residents. Access video footage of the proceedings at the Wednesday community meeting Dr. Sam Mayanja held at Bulindo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFnPTlJq_DQ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE1y12Mn9zE&t=22s; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRStqI8cigc&t=1025s & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8f33I26-78&t=33s.
“We have discovered a criminal network that ballooned land from 200 acres to over 700 acres. The titles were fake. They are ghost titles. They must be erased,” Mayanja said, as a mix of shock, outrage and applause swept through the crowd.
One of the most prominent casualties is Ambassador Barbara Nekesa Oundo, the powerful National Treasurer of the ruling NRM party.
Her newly built mansion in Bulindo, a sprawling estate with a swimming pool, tarmacked access road and high-end finishing is now sitting on land found to have been fraudulently acquired.
Nekesa purchased the land from Sam Charles Sebina, now revealed as a central figure in the forgery scheme.
Investigators found that Sebina’s “title” overlapped with land legally belonging to the late Mzee Japhes Mukiibi Wagumbulizi, whose family has owned the land since 1935.
His son, Japhes Mukiibi Wagumbulizi Luyimbwa, is now reclaiming it with full backing from the Ministry of Lands, the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), and local authorities.
“They built castles in the air. Now the ground beneath them is gone,” one elder from the community said, summing up the mood.
The report, signed by Commissioner for Mapping and Surveys Vianney Lutaaya, described the scandal as “a monumental corruption of Uganda’s land system.”
The findings show that land in Kyadondo Block 182 had been digitally and illegally inflated, with fraudulent plots created right on top of legitimate titles.
Adding further intrigue, retired Maj. Gen. Elly Kayanja, was also recently named in connection to the disputed block. While Kayanja claimed he bought his portion from the legitimate owner, his name has been tied to a string of controversies involving alleged land invasions by armed men and silent land takeovers.
Meanwhile, local residents are still reeling. Richard Wako, one of the many affected, accused officials in the RDC’s office of facilitating illegal demolitions. “They flattened my house and plantation. I had a title. But now they say it was fake,” Wako said.
Paul Nakibinge, another land claimant, issued a chilling warning: “Let them come. I will die on my land.”
The scandal has also ensnared Kira Municipality Mayor Julius Mutebi, now under fire for allegedly siding with title fraudsters.
With his third term bid looming, Mutebi is being accused of playing politics by downplaying verified findings from the Lands Ministry and presenting legitimate land reclamation efforts as persecution.
“Mayor Mutebi knows the truth. He has been copied on every report,” a senior Ministry official said. “He’s just trying to score political points.”
Even within his own party, Mutebi is reportedly facing a revolt, with insiders branding him as a liability. His crossover from DP to NUP in the last election is being scrutinized, with many suggesting he used the land conflict to boost his own visibility.
Back in Kampala, the ripple effects are massive. Dozens of wealthy individuals including political figures, business magnates, and even religious institutions are waking up to find their multi-million shilling properties stand on illegitimate ground.
With no legal claim to the land and no compensation likely from the true owners, many now face evictions, lawsuits, and financial collapse.
Minister Mayanja has lifted the status quo that had temporarily frozen activity on the land, clearing the way for enforcement.
Bulldozers are expected to return to Bulindo this time not to pave roads, but to demolish illegal structures built on stolen land.
SHACU’s Brig. Gen. Henry Isoke has been tasked with a full-scale crackdown. Arrests are imminent. Forensic audits will continue. Title forgers, complicit brokers, and government officials who facilitated the scam are all on the radar.
“This is just the beginning,” said Mayanja. “We will not only cancel the ghost titles. We will arrest the perpetrators. Uganda’s land cannot be bought through fraud. Those days are over.”
Still, some are lobbying for leniency. Jackson Twinomugisha, the NRM party Chairperson for Kira, called on the Minister to push for government compensation of those who bought the fraudulent land in good faith.
But Mayanja was clear the matter is civil, and affected parties can seek redress in court. No payouts from government coffers are on the table.
After years of whispers and quiet grabs, the land wars in Uganda are now public, messy, and coming to a head.
Bulindo has become ground zero. And as the dust settles, it’s clear: this is no longer just a land dispute. It’s a full-scale reckoning.
Even billions can’t save you when your mansion stands on lies. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
