Lands minister orders cancellation of pastor’s land title
KIKUUBE, April 22, 2024 – The State Minister for Lands, Dr Sam Mayanja has ordered the cancellation of a land title belonging to Pastor Steven Kyebambe, saying it was illegally obtained by the pastor.
Prince Kyebambe who pastors Gospel Centre Church Kawaala in Kampala, and is a member of the royal clan [Babito] in Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, has been battling with Anatori Girayitima, 95, a resident of Kachungiro village in Kinogozi parish, Buhimba Sub-county, Kikuube district, over a piece of land measuring 68 acres.
Girayitima says he acquired the land in the 1940’s and has been living on it with his family for over 70 years but was surprised when Kyebambe came up with a new land title and evicted him.
According to the old man, Kyebambe used his influence and cancelled his land title acquired from Hoima district land board in 2014.
He noted that his troubles started in 2013 when Kyebambe started claiming ownership of the contested land.
According to Girayitima, Kyebambe connived with Sarah Kulata, a former Commissioner in charge of land registration, to cancel his land title.
Minister Mayanja intervenes
Last year, Minister Mayanja ordered Kikuube Resident District Commissioner, Amlan Tumusiime to return Girayitma on his land but his efforts to implement the minister’s orders were futile.
However, following several complaints from Girayitma’s family, Mayanja days ago visited the contested land where he discovered that Kyebambe had illegally cancelled the old man’s title and illegally processed another in his name. It’s from this point that the minister ordered the cancellation of Kyebambe’s land title on the grounds that he acquired it through fraud.
“The old man’s land title is genuine and it was cancelled illegally, I order that Kyebambe’s title be canceled and Girayitima’s land title be validated and allowed to access his land for development,” Mayanja said.
He noted Section 48 of Registration of Titles Act indicates that when more than one title is processed on one land, the first title supersedes other titles processed afterward.
Minister Mayanja also ordered police to arrest Kyebambe and charge him for trespass, illegal processing of a land title and malicious damage.
He said Kyabambe illegally evicted the family of Girayitima from their land yet president Museveni stopped eviction of the Bibanja holders.
On his part, Tumusiime commended Mayanja for his intervention to save Girayitima, arguing that the old man is the rightful of the the contested land.
He noted that though Kyebambe claims that the land was given to him by Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, kingdom officials deny they ever did so.
On the other hand, Kyebambe denies the claims of grabbing Girayitima’s land, saying that in 2013 he was given powers of attorney by Omukama of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom Rukirabasaija Agutamba Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I to develop and secure all the investment on the contested land including cultural sites.
He claimed that land measuring a total of 250 acres is an ancestral land of the royal clan in Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, alleging that Girayitima encroached on the said land and processed a title illegally.
According to Kyebambe, Giriyitma filed a case against him over the same land at Hoima Chief Magistrate’s Court but lost the case.
He added that Giriyitma protested the ruling and appealed at Masindi High Court where he lost the case for the second time.
https://thecooperator.news/bunyoro-mp-implicated-in-land-grabbing-scandal/
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