A serious family dispute over land is brewing in Kawuku, Makindye Division, where a retired army officer, Brig.Gen. Jacob Musajjawaza, is being accused of grabbing a two-acre piece of land that belonged to the children of his late brother, Shedrack Kyakonye Mukasa.
The land in question, part of a bigger estate left behind by their late father Yokana Makumbi Musoke, was given to Kyakonye in a 1983 will. Before his death in 1986, Makumbi had clearly distributed his properties among his 14 children.
Kyakonye, who was also his heir, received two acres of land out of 8.5 acres in Kawuku, later acquiring a land title under Kyadondo Block 248 Plot 275 and occupied the land peacefully until his death in 2014.
After Kyakonye’s death, things took a different turn, with Musajjawaza, along with his sister Miriam Nanjobe and their aunt Rosira Nantume, starting the process of applying for fresh letters of administration over their father’s estate. They appointed Margaret Nabangya and James Makumbi Junior to lead the petition.
In 2015, they filed a new case in court, claiming that their father had died without a will and had only eight children, which was false.
This new petition was used to re-distribute the estate afresh, including the two acres that had already been given to Kyakonye, titled in his name, and used for nearly 30 years. To make matters worse, the land title in Kyakonye’s name was cancelled and replaced with a different plot number, Block 248 Plot 21, without informing his family or giving them a chance to be heard.
Kyakonye’s widow, Nakirayi Mary, and her children were shocked by this and turned to court, accusing Musajjawaza and his group of fraud and land grabbing. They insist that the land does not form part of the estate anymore, as it had been legally given to Kyakonye and should now belong to his children.
Through her lawyers, Mary filed a caveat in the Family Division of the High Court under Administration Cause No. 543 of 2025, asking the court not to grant the fresh application for letters of administration, also filed Civil Suit No. 33 of 2024 challenging the cancellation of the title and the attempts to take over the land.
In response, the petitioners (Nabangya and Musajjawaza) claimed that the land was never given to Kyakonye and that it had been left for family burial grounds. They now want to allocate one acre to their sister Rosira Nantume, whom they claim never received her share, while the other acre, they argue, should remain as a burial ground.
This version of events has caused more confusion and raised questions about the motive behind the fresh application, appearing as if the new petitioners are trying to take back land that was already distributed according to a valid will. They also failed to inform the court about the earlier succession grant and the ongoing case filed by Kyakonye’s family.
Gen. Musajjawaza’s involvement in the matter has drawn public attention, given his previous high-ranking role in the army and his clean record during his 38 years of service. As a retired officer and close associate of President Museveni, his name being linked to a land dispute involving orphans is raising eyebrows, especially at a time when the President has been vocal in fighting land grabbing.
The High Court is now expected to decide whether the application for new letters of administration is genuine or part of a wider plan to take land from Kyakonye’s heirs. At the same time, Kyakonye’s family is pushing for court to cancel all attempts to redistribute the land and to restore the original title.
This case is a reminder of how family land wrangles, especially those involving inheritance and titles, continue to affect many in Uganda, more so when power, influence, and legal loopholes come into play.
