Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, President of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party, claimed during his country mobilisation tour in Luwero that President Museveni distributed Buganda land to individuals who were not of Buganda descent. He urged the people of Buganda to stand up and take action to regain their rightful ownership of the land.
Addressing one of his rallies in Luweero, Kyagulanyi asked “Fellow Baganda to rise up and fight for their ancestors. Fellow Baganda, who bewitched us? Museveni thinks he is going to build his dynasty on the land of our ancestors in Buganda. That will not happen,” said Kyagulanyi, who was speaking in Luganda, during a rally at Kasana grounds on September 16, 2023.
According to the residents of Lwaweeba LC1, Buyanja Parish, Kyayi Sub County, Gomba District, the Ssentamu family, including Bobi Wine, subdivided their father’s land and have been selling it to non-Baganda, whom he is inciting the people against.
“Bobi Wine lacks the moral authority to comment on land grabbing after he sold the land he inherited from his father and now wants it back because it was purchased by non-Baganda,” revealed the angry residents.
The land was owned by Willington Jackson Ssentamu, the late father of Bobi Wine. Prior to his passing, he gave the land to Bobi Wine and his siblings.
Bobi Wine and his siblings sold the land to various individuals over the years. However, they have recently expressed a desire to reclaim the land they willingly sold, arguing that the buyers are not of Baganda descent.
“Bobi Wine desires to remove individuals from the land that he and his siblings willingly sold. He alleges that they are not of Baganda descent and are instead from Rwanda, asserting that they have no right to own land in Buganda,” said the sources.
He noted that the late Ssentamu owned 1912 acres of land (Bulaaya Ranchers farm); he sold 750 acres to Mugisha Aaron, 100 acres to Munanura Apollo, and 10 acres to Stanley Gwayambadde.
After he passed away, his children shared the remaining 1162 acres and sold their individual shares, said the source.
The shares were sold in three separate portions over a period of time: 730 acres bought by Ronald Mukimbiri, a Ugandan national of Rwandese origin; 288 acres by Juliet Kinyamatama; and 144 acres by Coleb Rugoonde.
However, it has been established by this publication that Mukimbiri and his companions have been told to leave the property as they are not Baganda and are being accused of unlawfully acquiring the land.
“Mukimbiri was given an ultimatum to leave the 730 acres or face dire consequences, with the argument being that, as a foreigner, he had no place in Buganda. It is not surprising that he expressed those views in Luwero,” said the source.
This publication also learned that Bobi Wine once grabbed Mengo land and occupied it by force.
According to Owek Noah Kiyimba, an organ of Mengo, in 2017, he forced Bobi Wine off the Kingdom land at Kaazi Busabala to adjust to his One Love beach, which he had occupied illegally.
“Bobi Wine applied for the land lease in 2011, whose application was not approved; he went ahead and occupied the land of 6.25 acres, even after numerous warnings to vacate the land peacefully. In 2014, we requested a meeting, but he did not show up. In 2015, we informed him in writing, but he still gave no response. In 2017, we were forced to take action and force him off the land,” Kiyimba said.
Kiyimba noted that he was surprised to hear Bobi Wine calling others ‘land grabbers’ when he himself had also taken kingdom land. It was evident that he had engaged in the act of seizing land, and it was necessary that action be taken to stop him.
Ambassador Kintu Nnyago, on November 10, 2022, ran to court accusing Bobi Wine of steadily encroaching on his land at Busabala to expand his one love beach.
Nnyago stated that, while away on official duty, Bobi Wine took advantage of his absence and encroached on half of his land, and efforts to solve it amicably failed. Bobi Wine would use his bouncers to prevent any peaceful resolution.
“Bobi Wine’s men slashed my gardens of sweet potatoes and cassava, among other crops; he illegally expanded his beach into my land,” Nnyago said.
Basajja Mivule said that Bobi Wine is lying when he claims that President Museveni has sold off Buganda land. For the last 37 years he has been in power, Museveni gave back the kingdom to Baganda to own land.
“It is people like Bobi Wine who are enemies of Baganda. If a Muganda has willingly been selling his land to Bankyakole, why turn around and claim that it has been stolen? What about the Bunankyokle’s money that was used to buy land? Should they also say Baganda stole their money?” Mivule said.
Bobi Wine’s outbursts concerning foreigners in Uganda grabbing land from Buganda are a reflection of his own mischievous deeds, which he wants to cover up by accusing other people while secretly attacking people to whom he willingly sold land.
