Senior Lands Officer Charged Over Alleged Illegal Sale of Government Land in Mbale
MBALE CITY: A senior lands officer attached to Mbale City has been arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court over allegations of illegally facilitating the transfer of government land to a private businessman.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit, working jointly with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), on Tuesday charged Kigaye Emmanuel Paul, the Senior Land Management Officer for Mbale City, with abuse of office and fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title.
The accused appeared before the Anti-Corruption Division and was remanded to prison until July 16, 2026, when he is expected to return to court.
According to prosecutors, between September 2019 and May 2023, Kigaye allegedly abused his office by causing the Registrar of Titles at the Mbale Zonal Office to issue a certificate of title for Plot 27, Bishop Masaba Road in the name of businessman Wamatsembe Moses.
Investigators allege that the action was unlawful because the land had already been allocated to the Dairy Development Authority, making the issuance of a private title irregular and prejudicial to the interests of the government.
The prosecution further alleges that Kigaye fraudulently processed and procured the registration of a freehold certificate of title, FRV MBA199 Folio 22, Instrument No. MBA-0009476, covering 0.5040 hectares of land located at Plot 27, Bishop Masaba Road, Fairway Cell, in favour of Wamatsembe.
The case forms part of ongoing efforts by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Criminal Investigations Directorate and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to combat corruption and protect public land from fraudulent acquisition.
If convicted, Kigaye faces penalties under Uganda’s anti-corruption laws relating to abuse of office and fraudulent dealings involving public property.
