Mityana District has registered remarkable progress in reducing land-related cases filed in formal courts, thanks to a growing embrace of village-level mediation as an alternative path to justice.
The initiative, championed by local leaders and the Office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), has already produced tangible results — most recently in Mugoya Village, Kiryokyaf Subcounty — where a long-running land wrangle between residents Matia Ssebina and Nathern Luyombya was peacefully settled outside court.
According to Assistant RDC Peter Kimera, the district has intensified efforts to promote community-based dispute resolution, particularly for land conflicts, which remain a leading cause of social tension.
“We want communities to understand that not every disagreement must end up in court,” Kimera said.
“When people sit together with their local leaders, it saves time, money, and relationships. The Mugoya case is a clear example of what dialogue can achieve.”
The conflict began after Luyombya, a clan leader who inherited land and obtained a title in 2023, sold two acres to Ddamulira Diriisa.
However, Ssebina later claimed ownership of the same plot, arguing that the land overlapped with his own.
Village Chairperson Vincent Ssebirumbi convened several community meetings to review land documents and trace the ownership history.
He said the dispute stemmed from unclear boundaries in earlier transactions dating back to 2006, when Ssebina Samuel sold 16 acres to Sserugooti Isa, who later sold them to Ssebina Matia in 2010.
“The land originally belonged to George Ntege, but after his death, his children subdivided it and obtained separate titles,” Ssebirumbi explained.
“That’s how Ssebina found that the plot he bought actually fell into three different land titles.”
The case had reached police and court levels, with Ddamulira briefly detained after filing a complaint against Luyombya, the seller.
But under the guidance of local authorities, all parties eventually agreed to resolve the matter through mediation.
During the sessions, each party acknowledged mistakes — Luyombya admitted selling without proper consultation, Ssebina conceded to buying land without proper surveying, and Ddamulira accepted that he failed to verify ownership before purchase.
The final settlement allowed Ssebina to compensate Ddamulira, enabling him to acquire legitimate ownership and full documentation.
“I’m very happy with this process,” Ssebina said after the agreement. “We were all under pressure, but through dialogue, we’ve found peace without wasting time in court.”
Ddamulira also welcomed the outcome, saying, “I thought I had lost my money, but mediation helped us reach a fair solution. I thank our leaders for guiding us.”
Chairperson Ssebirumbi praised the success of the process, noting that village-level mediation has eased community tensions and reduced the number of disputes escalating to higher courts.
“If more people can follow this model, we shall see a big reduction in court cases,” he said. “It brings justice closer to the people.”
The district leadership plans to extend the initiative across all subcounties, encouraging residents to resolve conflicts amicably as a means to foster peace, save costs, and strengthen community harmony.