Kyegegwa Leaders, Family Feud Over Disputed Land

A family in Kassambya, Kyegegwa, has accused Kyegegwa Town Council Mayor Swaib Lutaangi of conspiring with Kyegegwa District Woman MP Flavia Kabahenda and the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council to grab their land, which they insist was passed down through inheritance.

The disputed 1.5-acre plot, located in Kyegegwa Town on Block 60, Plot 41, has become the centre of a growing conflict.

The family alleges that Mayor Lutaangi and his relatives, including Sadic Lutaangi and Lwatooro Zaid, have turned against their female kin, claiming the land was donated by their late father to Kyegegwa Mosque.

Abasi Lutaangi, the family heir, accused his younger brother, the mayor, of attempting to seize the land.

"I am the family heir, and our father gave this land to our sisters from Aunt Nabwiso. Before his death, he emphasised that I should always protect their land, and that is exactly what I am doing," he told Tlthe Nile Post.

He claimed the mayor and other siblings had already divided a separate 12-acre portion among themselves.

"As the family heir, I allocated 12 acres to everyone, including the Mayor. But it hurts to see him now claiming this land belongs to the mosque. By the time our father died, he was only one year old, and I was the one who raised him and our other siblings," he said.

Lutaangi also accused MP Kabahenda of worsening the dispute.

"The conflicts escalated when our Woman MP, Flavia Kabahenda, brought a grader and constructed a road, cutting down all the trees that marked our boundaries. We warned her to respect the boundaries, but she insisted," he said.

Subayiri Mukasa, another brother of the Mayor, accused him of siding with the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.

"We never expected this from our brother, but he has chosen to favour the Muslim leadership against his own family. He once attempted to evict our sisters, and we had to intervene," Mukasa said.

Mukasa challenged MP Kabahenda to present a land title to back her claims.

"Our MP should show us the land title because we already know our boundaries. Instead, she is using force to encroach on our land," he said.

Mariam Namubiru, who manages the land, confirmed she possesses the relevant documents.

"I have the land title, and I want Kyegegwa Mosque and our Woman MP to present theirs. We grew up together, and she knows the truth," she said.

She added that Mayor Lutaangi had signed documents recognising her authority over the land but is now disowning them.

"You can see his signature on the letter we wrote seeking a 'No Objection.' He signed as next of kin, but now he claims the land belongs to the mosque," she said.

Namubiru called on Mufti Ramathan Mubaje to intervene.

"We are in the Ramathan period, and Allah does not allow such actions. I request the Mufti to handle this matter because we are living in fear. The mosque originally had its 10 acres, and we are not interfering with it," she said.

However, Mayor Lutaangi denied the allegations.

"What I know is that this land belongs to Kyegegwa Mosque. As a leader, my role is to resolve issues, and I am impartial in this matter," he said.

MP Kabahenda also dismissed claims of eviction.

"My land title shares a boundary with Kyegegwa Mosque, and I do not know Hajjati Mariam Namubiru, who claims she has land there," she said.

Kyegegwa Deputy Resident District Commissioner Baker Aharikundira visited the site to mediate the road construction dispute and ordered work to be halted until the matter is resolved.

Efforts to reach Musa Nassar, who oversees Muslim property affairs, were unsuccessful as his phone was unreachable.