The High Court has issued an order stopping State Minister for Lands HSam Mayanja, Ms. Phiona Barungi, and all their agents from any further interference with Kaazi land, which is part of the Kabaka’s official mailo estate.
The court ruling, delivered by Justice Bonny Isaac Teko, comes after weeks of heightened tension over attempts by the Ministry of Lands to override the Kabaka’s proprietary interest in the Kaazi area, located on the shores of Lake Victoria, long held sacred by the Scout Movement and the Buganda Kingdom.
The Buganda Kingdom had taken legal action in response to what it described as a “coordinated campaign of illegality and provocation” by Mayanja, who in March this year, directed the cancellation of the Kabaka’s land title, a mutation to transfer the land to a private estate, and even attempted to deregister the Buganda Land Board.
While addressing the press, David Mpanga, Minister for Lands in the Buganda Kingdom, welcomed the ruling, describing it as “a bold stand against executive impunity.”
“Kaazi is not just land, it is heritage, history, and a symbol of trust. The court has reminded everyone that not even a minister is above the law,” Mpanga said.
Mpanga added that the ruling reinforces the legal safeguards protecting traditional institutions and sends a message that unconstitutional overreach will not go unchallenged.
According to the Kingdom, activities carried out by Hon. Mayanja’s team including illegal grading, deforestation, and forced boundary opening were done under the false pretense of advocating for third-party rights, but were in fact a clear encroachment on Buganda’s land.
Court has also restrained Ms. Phiona Barungi, who was reportedly assigned by the President’s Office to oversee the directives.
In his ruling, Justice Teko emphasized that Barungi’s actions, like those of Mayanja, had no legal basis and posed significant political and legal risks.
The Kabaka of Buganda holds a reversionary interest in the Kaazi land, which was lawfully leased to the Scout Movement in 1948 for exclusive use as a national camping site. Over generations, it has remained a revered training ground for scouts and guides from across Uganda.
Despite this, the Ministry of Lands attempted to transfer the land to the estate of the late Omulangira G.W. Mawanda, in what the Kingdom insists was an unlawful and politically motivated maneuver.
“We are relieved that the judiciary has intervened,” said Mpanga. “The Kaazi land saga is about more than Buganda—it is about ensuring that government offices do not become tools for injustice.”
The Buganda Kingdom has vowed to pursue any further illegal attempts to alter land ownership or deregister its institutions through all lawful means. It also issued a warning to individuals or institutions aiding the implementation of the impugned directives, stressing that the court’s ruling must be respected.
“The Court has spoken. Any continued defiance will be met with legal consequences,” the Kingdom warned.
Minister Sam Mayanja had earlier ordered the cancellation of all land titles on the disputed Kaazi land during a public hearing attended by various stakeholders, including descendants of Kabaka Daudi Chwa, bibanja holders, surveyors, Scouts Association representatives, and investors — all claiming interest in the land.
He said the Ministry received a petition from the families of the late Kabaka Daudi Chwa and Omulangira George William Mawanda, asserting ownership of the land and accusing the Uganda Scouts Association of illegal dealings, allegedly facilitated by Buganda Land Board.
Mayanja went further to direct the Registrar of Companies to deregister Buganda Land Board Ltd, claiming its 2015 registration misrepresented it as a statutory body under Ugandan law.
