A section of Buganda royals has asked Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to intervene in a long-running dispute over 2.5 acres of land in Maganjo, Wakiso, which they claim is their ancestral property.
The royals, led by Prince Daudi Wasswa Wasajja, appealed an inspection of the disputed land, where they also protested the presence of Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) personnel.
Prince Wasajja said the land belongs to their royal lineage and accused the military of occupying it without lawful justification.
“We have come here to disregard the military occupation of our piece of land, which is our ancestral land belonging to the lineage of Kaweesa,” Prince Wasajja said.
He said the land is linked to the descendants of the late Kabaka Kiggala and should be protected as part of Buganda’s cultural heritage.
Kabaka Kiggala, also known as Kiggala Mukaabya Kasungubu, was the fifth Kabaka of Buganda and is traditionally recorded as having been buried at Ddambwe in Busiro.
The royals said the continued presence of soldiers on the land had created tension within the royal family and called on Gen Kainerugaba to explain why the UPDF was deployed there.
They also appealed to Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II to intervene and help resolve the dispute, arguing that the matter should not divide members of the royal family.
Prince Wasajja further accused some officials at Mengo of attempting to take control of the land. He specifically mentioned Buganda Kingdom Attorney General Christopher Bwanika, alleging that he had been involved in efforts to secure the property through court processes. [WATCH VIDEO]
The allegations have not been independently established, and Mengo officials have previously said they have no interest in taking the disputed land.
The royals said they had previously presented their complaints to Buganda authorities, including the office responsible for royal family affairs.
One of the royals, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they had asked the kingdom to intervene because they believed the dispute was an internal royal family matter that should first be handled through the leadership of the royal clan.
According to documents presented by the royals, the late Ssaabalangira Godfrey Musanje Kikulwe had been informed about the dispute before his death.
The documents reportedly show that Prince Musanje recognised the claim that the royal family was custodians of the 2.5-acre property.
The royals said the late Ssaabalangira was concerned that the land was not being properly used for purposes such as tourism, development and cultural preservation.
Prince Musanje died in February 2026. At the time of his death, he was the Ssaabalangira, the head of Buganda’s royal clan.
Following his death, Prince Fred Ssande Kateregga, who had been his deputy, was appointed to temporarily lead the royal clan until a new Ssaabalangira is appointed.
The disputed land at Maganjo is currently largely idle, according to the royals.
They said the property has military personnel, incomplete housing structures, and a cemetery. The land is also enclosed by an unplastered perimeter wall with a metallic gate.
The royals argue that instead of remaining unused, the property should be developed in a way that preserves its cultural importance and benefits the royal lineage and the wider Buganda community.
The royals now want Gen Kainerugaba to intervene and clarify the circumstances under which soldiers came to occupy the land.
They also want the Buganda leadership to help resolve the ownership and custodianship questions without allowing the dispute to further divide members of the royal family.
They say they will continue pursuing the matter until they obtain what they consider a satisfactory resolution over the 2.5-acre property.
