Otafiire dares accusers to test Njeru land claims before court

• Otafiire says he legally bought the disputed Njeru land from Christopher Lule and Fred Kato Lukwajju.

• He argues the government stock farm lost its lease after court and arbitration decisions over unpaid rent.

• The minister questions why no government agency has challenged his title in court.

• He dismisses other allegations linked to the land and vows to answer them with documentary evidence.

Water and Environment Minister Kahinda Otafiire has defended his ownership of disputed land in Njeru, insisting he acquired it lawfully and challenging critics to contest his title in court instead of through the media.

In a statement released on July 21, 2026, Otafiire responded to a Weekend Vision story published on July 18–19 under the headline, Does Otafiire Own Njeru Land? He accused the newspaper of leaving out key facts and presenting conclusions that ignored the legal history of the land.

Otafiire said he legally owns land on Block 295, Plots 280 and 282, formerly known as Plots 3 and 4 Bukaya, Njeru. He said he bought the land from the late Christopher Lule and the late Fred Kato Lukwajju, maintaining that the plots were never part of the Ham Mukasa estate or the government stock farm.

Read the full statement below:

The Weekend Vision edition of 18–19 July 2026 carried a story on page two under the headline, “Does Otafiire Own Njeru Land?” While presented as investigative journalism, the article is built upon selective facts, significant omissions and conclusions that are inconsistent with the documented legal history of the matter.

From the very beginning, my position has been clear and unequivocal: YES, I own land comprised in Block 295, Plots 280 and 282, formerly Plot 3 and Plot 4 Bukaya, Njeru. I lawfully acquired this land from the late Christopher Lule and the late Fred Kato Lukwajju. Those parcels originated from former Plot 3 and Plot 4, land historically owned by Guster Seruwo and Enoka Sebowa, who obtained Final Certificates on 21 February 1923. These parcels were never part of the Ham Mukasa Estate and were never part of the Government Stock Farm.

The central issue deliberately overlooked is that the Government Stock Farm occupied Plot 2 under a 99-year lease granted in 1948 by the late Ham Mukasa. The current public narrative conflates Plot 2 with Plots 3 and 4 despite their distinct ownership histories.

This raises several questions that I have consistently asked both in Cabinet and in public, yet remain unanswered:

• Does the Stock Farm possess any valid and subsisting lease or tenancy agreement with the Ham Mukasa Estate or its administrators?

• What became of the lease after the arbitral award and subsequent court decisions ordering re-entry following persistent non-payment of rent?

• Can the Ministry of Agriculture or the Stock Farm produce evidence of lawful rental payments for their continued occupation since 2010, or at the very least since 2017 when allegations against me first emerged?

• Has the Ministry ever sought to overturn the court orders authorising re-entry?

• If my ownership is allegedly fraudulent, why have neither the Attorney General nor the Stock Farm instituted proceedings challenging my registered ownership and possession?

The silence surrounding these questions is telling.

The documented legal record is equally clear.

First, although the Stock Farm held a 99-year lease from 1948 over Plot 2, it lost its legal interest following Arbitration Cause No. 80 of 2009 before Hon. Sam Mayanja, which ordered cancellation of the lease for non-payment of rent and authorised re-entry by the administrators of the Ham Mukasa Estate.

Secondly, that re-entry was confirmed by Lady Justice Percy Tuhaise, then sitting at the High Court in Jinja, on 21 July 2011.

Thirdly, officials from the Commissioner of Lands subsequently confirmed before court that the re-entry had been effected, the administrators entered on the register and the lease cancelled.

Fourthly, on 26 August 2025, a consent judgment recognised Brenda Nanyondo, great-granddaughter of Ham Mukasa, as a lawful beneficiary and co-administrator of the relevant estate.

Fifthly, following administration of that estate, her entitlement was subdivided and portions were lawfully transferred to third parties, who are now registered proprietors. Consequently, the historical Plot 2 no longer exists in its previous legal form.

These facts are matters of public record.

Equally noteworthy is the contradiction between allegations recently advanced and an earlier communication reportedly addressed by Hon. Bright Rwamirama to H.E the President dated 14 March 2025, acknowledging that the Stock Farm had lost its interest following the failure to pay rent and expressly referring to the relevant court decisions, including Miscellaneous Application No. 110 of 2011 and Miscellaneous Application No. 859 of 2011.

Furthermore, the President had already been briefed on these developments. Through the Principal Private Secretary, Mrs Joy Kabatsi, correspondence dated 7 June 2011 directed the Commissioner of Lands, Mrs Sarah Kulata, to facilitate the entry of the late Christopher Lule and Fred Kato Lukwajju onto the certificates of title relating to Plots 3 and 4 Bukaya, Njeru.

These documentary records stand in sharp contrast to repeated public allegations that I unlawfully ''grabbed'' land.

I therefore reiterate the same challenge I have consistently made: if there is evidence disproving these legal and documentary facts, let it be produced publicly and tested in the appropriate judicial forum rather than through selective media narratives.

Recent attempts to introduce unrelated allegations concerning a gold mine or cannabis cultivation appear to be further efforts to divert attention from the central legal issues. Those claims, too, will be addressed comprehensively with documentary evidence.

Public confidence is best served not by speculation or repetition of allegations, but by fidelity to facts, respect for judicial decisions and adherence to the rule of law. That remains my position today, just as it has been from the outset.