The actions of Fatuma Nabitaka Ndisaba, the RDC for Mukono, have cost taxpayers Shs 86 million after she recklessly intervened in a land dispute and passed judgment with disregard for the law.
The High Court in Mukono last week awarded Timothy Kiranda and Emmanuel Mubiru Shs 86 million after finding that several of their rights had been violated during the dispute.
Ndisaba, who serves as the RDC of Mukono, became a central figure in the conflict after she intervened in a dispute over the ownership and use of a three-acre piece of land owned by Mubiru.
The dispute started several years ago when Mubiru bought a kibanja from Florence Nantumbwe and her son, Solomon Mbogo. After buying the land, he planted sugarcane and developed the property.
Problems later emerged when some of Nantumbwe’s grandchildren challenged Mubiru’s ownership of the land.
The disagreement became more serious in 2023 when part of Mubiru’s sugarcane plantation was destroyed. Mubiru reported the matter to court and sought compensation.
As the fight over the land continued, Ndisaba, the RDC, called a meeting to discuss the matter.
After the meeting, she issued a directive stopping all activities on the disputed land until the matter was resolved. She also instructed police and local leaders to enforce her decision.
However, there was a significant issue with how Ndisaba handled the matter.
The person most affected by the decision, Mubiru, was not invited to attend the meeting, denying him the chance to defend his interests.
Justice Stephen Mubiru, who handled the case, said Ndisaba did not have the power to make final decisions about who owned the land.
He observed that disputes about ownership of land should be determined by courts and other legally recognised bodies, not by an RDC.
Former FDC official told to repay Shs 383 m loan he took from Pride Bank
The conflict later became more chaotic.
Mubiru and Kiranda told the court that police officers and other individuals entered the land, subdivided it and placed boundary markers on it.
They also alleged that the sugarcane plantation was eventually destroyed.
At the same time, Mubiru and Kiranda complained that authorities were ignoring their complaints while acting against them instead.
Kiranda was arrested in October 2025 and kept in police custody for more than 48 hours before being taken to court. Later, a one Valentine Okoth and LC1 chairman George William Ssembatya attacked Mubiru, beat him up, and threw him in prison.
Justice Mubiru said the authorities failed to properly investigate complaints made by Mubiru and Kiranda about the destruction of his property.
Although Mubiru and Kiranda made several other accusations, they did not provide enough evidence to prove all of them. However, in the end, they won the case.
In his judgment, Justice Mubiru stressed that government officials must act fairly and listen to all sides before making decisions that affect people’s lives and property.
He said it was wrong for Mubiru to be left out of a meeting that discussed land in which he had a direct interest.
Kiranda was awarded Shs 5 million for being held in custody for too long, while Mubiru received Shs 1 million because of the unfair way the land matter was handled.
Mubiru was given a further Shs 30 million because authorities failed to give him the same protection they gave other parties in the dispute.
In addition, the court ordered Okoth and Ssembatya to each pay Mubiru Shs 25 million for assaulting him.
The total compensation awarded to the affected individuals by the court came to Shs86 million, excluding legal costs.
Post Views: 21
