KIKUUBE, November 25, 2025 — The State Minister for Lands, Sam Mayanja, has instructed Kikuube Resident District Commissioner [RDC] Godwine Agria Kasigwa and Maj Gen Daniel Kakono, Commander of the Field Artillery Division in Masindi, to investigate and arrest individuals accused of encroaching on land leased to Hoima Sugar Limited by the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom.
Hoima Sugar, one of the region’s largest sugar producers, operates in Kiswaza village, Kiziranfumbi Sub-county. The contested 22.24-square-mile area in Kyangwali and Kabwoya sub-counties in Kikuube district was leased to the company in 2015 for 99 years by Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru.
Legal and environmental disputes
The National Forestry Authority [NFA] previously challenged Hoima Sugar’s occupancy, claiming part of the land fell within Bugoma Forest Reserve. However, in 2019, the High Court in Masindi ruled in favour of the company. The ruling triggered protests from environmentalists, prompting the National Environmental Management Authority [NEMA] to limit Hoima Sugar’s usable area to nine square miles of grassland.
Fresh claims from royal clan members
A new dispute has since emerged, led by Chief Prince Okwiri Fred Rucunya Mugenyi and other members of the Babito ruling clan, who accuse Hoima Sugar of extending operations beyond the leased land. In a letter dated October 28, 2025, Minister Mayanja said Hoima Sugar had petitioned the ministry over fresh cases of illegal encroachment, naming several individuals, including members of the royal family.
Mayanja said the group had illegally opened boundaries on the land, an offence under Ugandan law, allegedly with the protection of some army and police officers. He directed Maj Gen Kakono to verify who authorised security personnel to support the activities.
The Minister also ordered the RDC to stop the alleged trespass and have those involved arrested and prosecuted, while ensuring the investor remains protected from “land grabbers”.
According to Mayanja, official records confirm that the Kingdom leased 22.24 square miles to Hoima Sugar, for which the company holds a valid title.
Royal clan responds
Chief Prince Okwiri dismissed the Minister’s allegations as baseless, insisting his group had not altered any boundaries. He said those present on the land were “Kingdom subjects” protecting what they believe to be Kingdom property.
He argued that Hoima Sugar has refused a joint boundary opening, leaving room for opportunists to invade Kingdom land under the guise of operating within the company’s leasehold.
Okwiri further claimed that Hoima Sugar has already used its permitted nine square miles and has encroached a further two square miles into Kingdom land.
He also accused former RDC Amlan Tumusiime of aiding investors to take over Kingdom property. Tumusiime rejected the claims, noting that the lease was signed by the King in 2015, before he became RDC.
Call for boundary demarcation
Current RDC Kasigwa confirmed that security forces are deployed to protect both the investment and nearby Bugoma Forest Reserve. He said he has sought guidance from Kampala regarding potential arrests, adding that unclear boundaries are at the heart of ongoing conflicts.
“Several people have encroached on Bugoma Forest, planting maize and sugarcane while claiming to be on Hoima Sugar land. Clear demarcation is urgently needed,” he said.
The Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom’s Prime Minister also distanced the Kingdom from Okwiri’s allegations, reaffirming that the Kingdom leased 22 square miles to Hoima Sugar.
Hoima Sugar Limited has denied claims that it has crossed into Kingdom land.
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