RECORDS SET STRAIGHT! Lands Commissioner Mugaino clarifies on Makerere land fraud allegations
Baker Mugaino
The Commissioner for Land Registration, Baker Mugaino, has come out to clarify on recent allegations accusing him of abetting fraud in the handling of Kibuga Block 28 Plot 540 at Makerere. He says the recent reports are misleading, distorted and deliberately crafted to manipulate public opinion around a long-running land dispute.
In a press statement, Mugaino says, official documents, including High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court decisions, all actions on the Makerere land stem from multiple binding judgments, not the personal choices of the Commissioner.
Key highlights from the legal record include:
2010: Justice Murangira issued a High Court decree directing the Commissioner to reconstruct the title, re-register the late Musa Muganzi Kalanzi, and issue a special title to administrator Miriam Kuteesa.
2014: The Supreme Court confirmed that the decree had been lawfully executed, rendering private side agreements void unless formally adopted by court.
2017: Justice Alexandra Nkonge Rugadya ordered the Commissioner to enforce the 2010 decree “immediately,” warning of possible arrest for non-compliance.
2021: Justice Eludes Keitirima ruled that the applicants claiming ownership had no locus standi on the land and ordered the Commissioner to reinstate Kuteesa.
November 2025: The High Court (Land Division) reaffirmed that the Commissioner acted lawfully and in full obedience to court directives.
None of these orders originate from Mugaino. His role was administrative, to implement what courts had already ruled.
Claims Of Forged Letters Of Administration
He says the recent reports hinge on the claim that Kuteesa used forged Letters of Administration, to him, court records contradict this narrative:
Miriam Kuteesa lawfully received a valid grant of Letters of Administration in 2011, issued by Justice Billy Kainamura.
This 2011 grant is the legal instrument used for registration, not the disputed 2006 documents whose authenticity has been debated.
Therefore, allegations that Mugaino relied on forged documentation are factually incorrect.
Consent Agreements Never Nullified the 2009 Decree
The accusation that Mugaino ignored settlement agreements also has been clarified. He says Justice Madrama, writing for the Court of Appeal, clarified that: Private agreements between parties did not amount to court decisions under the Judicature Act.
As such, they could not overturn the original 2009/2010 High Court judgment.
In June 2025, Justice Emokor reaffirmed that consent arrangements never extinguished the original decree.
Edith Nantumbwe Kizito – contempt-1
Court Canceled All Titles Created After 2009
According to Mugaino, the titles created out of the Makerere land (plots 1244–1247) were declared irregular and void by court, not by the Commissioner.
The Commissioner’s role was simply to: implement the cancellations ordered by the High Court, correct the register as instructed, and avoid being held in contempt of court.
Constitutionally Mandated Duties
To Mugaino, Article 126 of the Constitution is clear: All state organs must enforce and respect court decisions. And as such, the Commissioner is legally bound to: implement decrees, rectify the register in accordance with judgments, maintain neutrality and factual accuracy, and Any refusal or selective interpretation of court orders would be unlawful.
Why Mugaino Is Being Targeted
According to Mugaino, the smear narrative appears to arise from parties dissatisfied with repeated court defeats , from High Court to Supreme Court. “Rather than accept binding decisions, they have turned to sensationalism, misrepresentation and emotional manipulation featuring an elderly complainant,” he says.
“Yet court proceedings, not street narratives determine ownership.”
Therefore: Attacks On Mugaino Are Baseless & Politically Motivated.
The full court record demonstrates that: Mugaino did not fabricate, initiate, or influence any decision regarding Plot 540.
“Every step was anchored in lawful, binding court orders. Claims of fraud, bias, and negligence are misinformation unsupported by judicial evidence. The Commissioner for Land Registration remains fully aligned with the Constitution, and his compliance with court directives reinforces, rather than undermines, public trust in Uganda’s land governance system,” he concludes.
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