Prince Wasajja testifies over Kabaka Muteesa’s land

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Buganda prince David Wasajja has pinned Dr. Muhammad Bawule Kasasa, who he accused of illegally taking over land on Mutungo Hill in Luzira in Kampala, which belonged to the late Sir Edward Muteesa.

The disputed land on Block 237 comprises of plots 56, 48, 59 and 29. Wasajja was testifying before the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire Land Commission on Tuesday.

He presented documents indicating that Dr. Kasasa reportedly bought the disputed land from Barclays Bank in December 1978. The Bank had reportedly retained the title to the land under the names of Lake View Properties, which had mortgaged it to acquire a loan of sh100.000.

However, Wasajja disputed Dr. Kasasa’s claim on the land, saying Lake View properties closed shop in November 1978. A second document before the Commission shows that Dr. Kasasa bought the land from Lake View Properties in the same year and was transferred into his names by Lawrence Ssebalu, one of the company directors.

At the time of the transfer, according to transfer documents before the Commission, the land had just been freed of a caveat placed on it by Barclays bank. However, Wasajja said the process is questionable, adding that Dr. Kasasa fabricated the land tittle to acquire over 500 acres of land.

The land under contention belonged to Sir Edward Mutesa 1. He owned a total of 640 acres of private Mailo land on Mutungo Hill in Luzira. Wasajja says that when Mutesa was exiled in 1966, Nalinnya Dorothy Mpologoma was given powers of attorney over his estate.

In the documents Wasajja presented, it is alleged that Nalinnya sold the land to Andrew Paul Kwemalamala Kintu who later sold four acres to the former Chief Justice, the late Benedict Kiwanuka and over 600 acres to Lake View Properties.

However, Wasajja dismissed the claims saying Princess Nalinnya didn’t use her powers of Attorney to carry out any transaction. He says this was a dubious transaction that originated from Benedict Kiwanuka and Lawrence Ssebalu and was later carried forward by Kasasa.

The Kabaka family represented by Wasajja as one of those with powers of attorney is still battling with Kasasa over the same matter in the courts of law. Currently, the land has a caveat. Neither of the parties is allowed to carry out any activities on the land.

Nevertheless, Wasajja alleges that Dr. Kasasa still collects ground rent from the bibanja holders and sells part of the land to interested parties.

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