By Aggrey Baba
Yusuf Ssemakula, a Kampala property dealer, is reportedly on the run after the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) summoned him over the alleged illegal demolition of a house located on Plot 106, Old Kira Road in Ntinda, which had been home to the family of the late Johnson Orech for over 30 years.
The anti-corruption unit accuses Ssemakula of demolishing the house on June 5, 2025, despite a standing court order that bars any evictions or developments on the land until an ongoing case in the Court of Appeal is concluded.
The property dealer was expected to appear and record a statement, but according to SHACU, he has since gone into hiding, but investigations have been enlarged into allegations of malicious damage to property.
According to Vision reports, SHACU maintains that Ssemakula acted without any lawful authority, and that he has no valid court order or decree in his favour that would permit him to evict the occupants or take over the property.
“There is no order or decree issued by court in favour of Ssemakula with respect to the disputed property,” SHACU stated in a press release.
The property is still a subject of litigation in the Court of Appeal under case number 99 of 2023. Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, in a letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) confirmed that there is a court-issued stay of execution, which means that the land should not be tampered with until the appeal is determined.
“The status quo should be preserved and no evictions should take place until the appeal is disposed of,” Kiryowa reportedly advised.
SHACU further clarified that government security agencies, including the Police, had been notified of the court’s position, and any attempt to evict or demolish without completing the legal process was in violation of the law.
The dispute reportedly stems from a long-standing land case that began in 2011, when the late Evelyn Orech, daughter of Johnson Orech, sued Sulait Ssemakula and Stella Aber in the High Court, seeking to block what she believed was an illegal attempt to take over her family land. However, while her case was ongoing, a one Kabogoza allegedly filed a separate case and, through a private consent agreement with the defendants, was declared the lawful owner. Evelyn later appealed that judgment, and that appeal is what remains active today.
Following her death in 2021, her children continued living on the land. SHACU explained that even if Ssemakula had an order obtained during Evelyn Orech’s lifetime, it could not be enforced against her children without following due process in court.
The Unit also dismissed social media claims that it was frustrating court orders, saying such claims were meant to mislead the public and shield those who were using illegal means to grab land.
“These online stories are a diversion aimed at protecting individuals who use blackmail and misinformation to defend acts of impunity,” SHACU said in a statement.
The Unit emphasized that evictions or takeovers must follow a clear legal process, which includes obtaining an enforceable court order, applying for execution, and seeking clearance from police, insisting that Ssemakula did none of these before reportedly demolishing the house.
Authorities have vowed to pursue all those involved in the unlawful demolition and hold them accountable under the law as the search for Ssemakula goes on. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
