In a landmark move against land grabbing in Uganda, the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), in collaboration with Uganda Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions, has successfully arraigned Tonny Mutabingwa before the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court.
The charges read to him on Tuesday afternoon include the Fraudulent Procurement of a Certificate of Title and Forcible Entry.
This development marks a significant step in the fight against corruption and land grabbing in Kampala.
According to the court documents, Mutabingwa, along with others who are still at large, is alleged to have forged court orders between December 2022 and March 2023.
These orders were then used to register themselves on the certificate of title for land located at Block 244, Plot 8328 in Kisugu, Makindye Division, Kampala City.
The accused mobilized graders and armed individuals to forcibly cut down crops and trees on the land.
They proceeded to grade, sub-divide, and sell the land.
Mutabingwa has been remanded to Luzira Prison until September 3rd, pending further investigations and court proceedings.
His detention is seen as a significant victory for the victims of his alleged crimes and a warning to other potential land grabbers.
Background of the Case
The origins of this case trace back to June of last year, when a family in Kisugu, Makindye Division was on the verge of losing its prime property to a group of city land grabbers led by Mutabingwa.
The family wrote to Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo, urging him to address the issue of corrupt judicial officers who were aiding the criminal cartel.
“We are beneficiaries of the Estate of the late Yosefu Nsubuga and his son the late Joseph G.R. Nsubuga. Our family has owned this prime land in Kisugu for over 90 years. However, on March 16, 2023, at 3:00 AM, Mutabingwa led a group of individuals to our land, destroyed our home, crops, and banana plantation, and fenced off the entire area. They sub-divided the land into 11 plots and fraudulently transferred nine of them to other people within two days.”
The family reported the case to Kabalagala Police Station and discovered that a suspicious court order was used to transfer their land to Ndagire Annet, who then transferred it to Mutabingwa.
The court order, allegedly signed by Her Worship Suzan Kanyange in 2016, was implemented in December 2022, long after the death of their relative.
Despite numerous efforts, the family had been unable to obtain a certified record of the court proceedings, further fueling their suspicions of forgery and fraud.
The family’s letter highlighted the involvement of a broader cartel of land grabbers, including various judicial and land registration officials.
They appealed to the Chief Justice for urgent intervention to retrieve the court file and ensure justice prevails.
This case sheds light on the rampant issue of land grabbing in Uganda, often facilitated by corruption within the judicial system.
The arrest and detention of Tonny Mutabingwa signify a critical moment in the fight against such crimes.
It also underscores the importance of transparency and accountability in land transactions and the judicial process.
As the case proceeds, the victims and the general public await justice and the potential dismantling of the land grabbing cartel which Mutabingwa superintends over.
The actions taken by SHACU, Uganda Police, and the Director of Public Prosecutions are steps in the right direction towards restoring trust in the country’s legal and land administration systems.