At a press conference in Kampala, the Chwa descendants decried what they called a prolonged delay in implementing ministerial orders issued in March 2025, terming it a violation of their constitutional rights and a betrayal of historical justice.
Sir Daudi Chwa II, who became Kabaka of Buganda in 1897 at the age of one, was a central figure in the kingdom’s colonial-era governance and land reforms.
Under the 1900 Buganda Agreement, he was allocated 350 square miles as Kabaka, later receiving an additional 100 square miles for his private estate, alongside more than 60 square miles acquired personally.
This land, according to the family and colonial records, was held under Mailo tenure as a private estate—not as institutional Kingdom property.
However, following his death in 1939, the estate reportedly fell into decades of mismanagement, disputed claims, and fraudulent transactions.
Family representatives say successive administrations have failed to protect or restore their rightful inheritance, culminating in what they describe as a pattern of unlawful sales, forged titles, and systemic exclusion from key land decisions—most notably during the 1993 restitution of traditional institutions when portions of Chwa’s private land were erroneously lumped under Buganda Kingdom property.
After years of petitioning, research, and legal filings, the Ministry of Lands—led by Minister of State Sam Mayanja—issued directives on March 10, 2025, aimed at rectifying historical injustices.
These included the restoration of specific parcels, including Plot S Block 273 at Kaazi; survey and registration of 18 square miles in the Chwa family’s name; processing of titles for over 190 square miles of verified land; and formal recognition of designated estate administrators.
Despite the family's submission of original colonial documents and full compliance with procedural requirements, implementation of the directives has stalled.
The Buganda Land Board (BLB) initiated a judicial review and secured a temporary injunction, which the Chwa family views as a deliberate effort to derail justice through legal technicalities.
“The Government of Uganda must act with integrity and enforce the directives it has already issued,” said Omulangira Daniel Ssepiriya Luswata, a spokesperson for the family.
“This estate is legally distinct from Buganda Kingdom land. Continued obstruction is not just unlawful—it erodes public trust and distorts our history.”
The family claims that even prior legal resolutions have been ignored. A 2020 consent judgment between key parties, they allege, has yet to be honored—an indicator, they say, of a broader pattern where entrenched interests override the rule of law.
At a family assembly held on July 19, 2025, chaired by Prince Nakibinge David Luswata, the Chwa family adopted several resolutions.
These include reaffirmation of five estate administrators, correction of land registry errors, demand for a joint verification committee comprising both state and Kingdom officials, and a moratorium on leases or developments affecting the disputed land.
The family also seeks compensation for irrecoverable property and has requested a formal audience with President Yoweri Museveni.
As part of their broader strategy, the family is assembling a dedicated legal and technical team to manage litigation, archival research, and stakeholder engagement.
They are also calling for unrestricted access to colonial-era cadastral maps, land records, and microfilm archives that could prove crucial in substantiating their claims.
“This is not a political fight,” said Prince Luswata. “It’s a legal and moral struggle centered on land rights, constitutional justice, and historical truth.”
The Chwa descendants have called on civil society, traditional leaders, and the public to support their efforts, insisting that the matter transcends personal inheritance and touches on Uganda’s broader commitment to equity, rule of law, and historical reconciliation.