Officials at the Uganda Land Commission recently disclosed that the majority of land grabbers are influential officials of Government
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Government seems to be sleeping on the job as Lutunku Community Polytechnic, a government vocational institution in Sembabule District, loses more than five acres of its six-acre parcel of land in Sembabule Town Council to alleged land grabbers, exposing the consequences of prolonged government delays in processing land titles and protecting public property.
The disputed property, located along Sam Kutesa Road, has reportedly been illegally subdivided by influential individuals who have erected commercial and residential buildings, leaving the institution with less than an acre of its original six-acre holding.
The land loss has frustrated the institution’s management, which had planned to develop income-generating projects on the property to supplement government funding and support the school’s operations.
According to investigations published by Daily Monitor, the encroachment has been facilitated by the failure to secure official land ownership documents in the institution’s name, allowing individuals to exploit administrative weaknesses and take possession of portions of the property.
The situation has also raised questions about the government’s commitment to protecting land belonging to its own institutions, particularly vocational training centres expected to equip young Ugandans with practical skills.
The Acting Chief Head Trainer at Lutunku Community Polytechnic, Miriam Tworekirwe, attributed the land loss to prolonged delays by government authorities in processing the institution’s land titles.
She explained that neither the disputed six-acre property in Sembabule Town Council, identified as Block 83, Plot 23, nor the institution’s main campus at Lutunku has a land title registered in the school’s name.
The absence of formal ownership documents has left the institution vulnerable to encroachment, with management struggling to stop individuals from subdividing and developing the land.
Museveni’s land purchase becomes contentious
The land dispute is particularly sensitive because the institution’s main campus was established on a 200-acre parcel reportedly purchased by President Yoweri Museveni in 1997 from a resident, Faustine Ntambara, for the establishment of the vocational institution.
However, despite the land having been acquired for the school, the ownership documents were never formally transferred from Ntambara into the institution’s name.
This administrative omission left the property exposed to competing claims and encroachment, with former sitting tenants reportedly taking advantage of the absence of formal titles to erect permanent structures.
A 2023 investigation committee appointed by former Sembabule Resident District Commissioner Caleb Tukaikiriza examined the circumstances surrounding the disputed land and established that the presidential land purchase had not been followed by the completion of the necessary ownership transfer procedures.
The failure to complete the transfer has complicated efforts to safeguard the institution’s property and address claims by individuals occupying portions of the land.
The case illustrates how delays in completing land registration procedures can undermine even land acquired specifically for public institutions.
It also raises concerns about the effectiveness of government systems responsible for ensuring that public land purchases, donations and acquisitions are properly documented and protected against subsequent encroachment.
Influential individuals grab public land
The town council property has reportedly been partitioned into smaller plots, with alleged land grabbers, including influential businessmen in Sembabule Town, constructing permanent commercial and residential buildings.
The developments have progressively reduced the institution’s landholding, making it increasingly difficult for management to reclaim the property.
The situation is further complicated by fears among school administrators that confronting the alleged grabbers could expose them to intimidation or retaliation.
Management reportedly says it has struggled to stop the encroachment or publicly identify some of the individuals involved because of concerns about personal safety.
Even local district leaders are said to be hesitant to confront the people accused of taking over the land, raising questions about the influence wielded by those occupying the property.
The alleged encroachment on both the town council property and the main campus has left the institution facing the prospect of losing land that was acquired specifically to support vocational education.
On the main campus, former sitting tenants reportedly exploited the absence of formal ownership documents to put up permanent structures, further complicating the institution’s efforts to protect its land.
The developments have exposed weaknesses in the management of government land, particularly the failure to ensure that properties acquired for public institutions are properly surveyed, titled and registered in their beneficiaries’ names.
Income-generating projects stall
The loss of more than five acres has also undermined the institution’s development plans.
According to management, the six-acre plot along Sam Kutesa Road was intended for income-generating projects that would provide additional revenue to support the institution’s operations.
Such developments would have helped the polytechnic supplement its resources and reduce its dependence on government funding.
However, with less than an acre remaining, management says the available space is now too small to accommodate the major projects it had planned.
The institution therefore faces not only the loss of valuable public land but also the loss of a potential source of internally generated revenue.
The situation is particularly concerning given the role of vocational institutions in providing practical skills and technical training to young people.
For Lutunku Community Polytechnic, securing its land would be an important step towards expanding its facilities and strengthening its capacity to deliver vocational education.
Management appeals to M7
Faced with continued encroachment and difficulties in reclaiming the property, the institution’s leadership has appealed directly to President Museveni to intervene and order the alleged land grabbers to vacate the land.
The appeal, made in November 2026, seeks presidential intervention to protect property that was originally acquired for the establishment and development of the government institution.
Management believes that intervention from the President could help resolve the dispute, particularly given that he personally purchased the 200-acre parcel for the school in 1997.
The leadership also wants the relevant government authorities to address the outstanding land ownership documentation to prevent further encroachment.
The dispute now presents government with a test of its ability to protect public assets from individuals who allegedly exploit administrative weaknesses to acquire public property.
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