The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (Shacu) has arrested Jasper Kakooza, the acting Commissioner for Mapping and Surveys in the Ministry of Lands, along with nine others, over allegations of double titling and land grabbing involving over 1,400 acres of land belonging to the Madhvani Group in Gomba District.
Kakooza and his co-accused are expected to appear before the Anti-Corruption Court tomorrow to answer charges related to the fraudulent creation of an overlapping land title on property legally registered to Madhvani Group since 1955.
Investigations revealed that in October 2024, the accused orchestrated the illegal creation of a duplicate land title covering approximately 1,454 acres in Musongole village, Mpenja Subcounty.
The fraudulent act culminated in the violent takeover of more than 600 acres, the destruction of expansive tea plantations, and the decimation of over 540 acres of natural forest.
The Madhvani Group, one of Uganda’s oldest and most prominent industrial conglomerates, is best known for its vast sugar production empire.
The group owns the country’s largest sugar mill located in Kakira, Jinja, and has diversified into hospitality, energy, insurance, construction, and distillery, among others.
The company began acquiring land for its expanding ventures as early as the 1950s, including large tracts in Gomba District.
The ongoing investigation, led by Shacu in collaboration with the Police Criminal Investigations Directorate, stems from earlier arrests made in November 2024, when five individuals were charged with trespassing on the Madhvani estate.
The suspects, Allan Katakanya Nuwahereza, Gerald Mudenyi, David Nabimanya, Abdu Ssenoga, and Harunah Kisenyi, were arraigned before the Gomba Chief Magistrate’s Court and charged with forcible entry, forcible detainer, malicious damage to growing plants, and conspiracy to commit both misdemeanours and felonies.
They were remanded until November 19, 2024, as investigators probed further to identify the masterminds behind the land grab.
The loose ends revealed trails that led to a more powerful figure. That just happened to have been Kakooza, investigators now believe.
Shacu officials say the arrest of Kakooza marks a significant breakthrough in dismantling high-level corruption cartels responsible for orchestrating land fraud across the country.
Coverage of tomorrow’s court proceedings is expected to draw public and media interest, given the high-profile nature of the case and the Madhvani Group’s longstanding contribution to Uganda’s economic development.