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By Amos Tayebwa | Mbarara City
There was drama and near-violence on Thursday, 8th January 2026, after angry residents of Kacence East Cell in Mbarara City stormed a disputed piece of land and almost lynched the area LC1 Chairman, John Mugisha alias Mushaijomwe, together with Robert Kamugisha, a businessman from Kabale, over alleged land grabbing.
The two were reportedly chased off the land by locals who accused them of illegally selling and attempting to take possession of 2.7 hectares of land belonging to the late Shaban Gawite.
Trouble started a few days earlier when Kamugisha allegedly moved onto the land, graded it, erected a fence, and destroyed crops belonging to more than 10 farmers who had been renting the land for cultivation.
According to the family, the land belongs to the children of the late Shaban Gawite, who died in 1977 and left the property under the care of the then LC1 chairman, Ahamed Karangwa, since his children were living abroad. Karangwa was tasked with collecting rent from tenants and forwarding it to the family.
Karangwa passed on in 2024, after which his vice, John Mugisha (Mushaijomwe), assumed leadership.
One of the deceased’s sons, James Kenyata Shaban, accused the current LC1 chairman of colluding with fraudsters to illegally sell the land without the family’s knowledge. He claims the land was sold for UGX 70 million.
“When I heard that our land had been sold, I was out of the country. I immediately returned and went straight to the disputed land. I am equally responsible for this land. When I asked the chairman for clarification, he was evasive and unclear. All the agreements presented are forgeries. I reported the matter to police, and they have since visited the land. We don’t want anybody on our land,” Kenyata said.
Residents further allege that Chairman Mushaijomwe has been threatening them, claiming that they cannot challenge him because he works at State House.
Former area councillor Gertrude Wasajja also accused the LC1 chairman of selling the land without consulting either the LC1 executive committee or the Gawite family.
“We want whoever claims to have bought this land to go back to the person who sold it and demand a refund. We shall not allow anyone to take this land except the family of Shaban Gawite. The farmers whose crops were destroyed must be compensated, and we call upon government to intervene,” Wasajja said.
Police intervention prevented mob justice as tensions remain high in the area.
Land grabbing—both on privately owned and public land—continues to rise across the country, with local leaders increasingly implicated in disputed transactions.
