The Minister of State for Lands, Sam Mayanja, has petitioned the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, seeking urgent intervention in what he describes as an illegal takeover and mismanagement of land and assets belonging to the Uganda Scouts Association.
In a letter dated July 25, 2025, addressed to Brig. Gen. Henry Isoke, Head of the Anti-Corruption Unit, Minister Mayanja highlighted growing concerns surrounding the 120-acre National Scouts Camping Centre in Kazi, Wakiso District.
His petition follows an earlier appeal by Chief Commissioner of the Uganda Scouts Association, Ms. Alice Nyiramahoro, who raised alarm over internal power struggles, land grabbing, and mismanagement threatening the integrity of the historic site.
Mayanja noted that several parties have laid claim to the land, including the Buganda Kingdom (under the 1993 Traditional Rulers Restitution of Assets and Properties Act), the family estate of the late H.H. Daudi Chwa II, and a group of Scouts citing a leasehold issued in 1988. After reviewing legal and historical documents, Mayanja stated that the claim by the Daudi Chwa II estate is the most legitimate, citing preserved mailo land rights under the 1967 Constitution.
The Minister explained that the estate should transfer 100 acres to the Uganda Scouts Association and allocate 20 acres to the estate of the late Omulangira G.W. Mawanda. However, with the letters of administration for both estates having expired, the matter now falls under the jurisdiction of the Administrator General.
He warned that groups have forcefully taken possession of the land—both from within the Scouts Association and from the Mawanda family—prompting his call for immediate government intervention.
Mayanja also referenced a 2017 directive from President Museveni, which placed the Uganda Scouts and Girl Guides Associations under the Ministry of Education and Sports. He urged the ministry to develop a statutory instrument clarifying internal governance, decision-making, financial accountability, and land management within the associations.
Describing the situation as urgent and beyond the scope of his ministry, Mayanja called on Gen. Isoke to coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Administrator General, the Ministry of Lands, and Military Police—who currently oversee security at the Kazi site—for a comprehensive investigation and resolution.
“This matter demands urgent and high-level intervention to safeguard national youth assets and prevent further illegal occupation and mismanagement,” Mayanja stated.
The Kazi land, a key national resource for youth development, is home to Uganda’s largest Scouts training and camping facility. The government’s response in the coming weeks may determine the future of the property and the stability of the Uganda Scouts Association.
