Brig Gen Moses Lukyamuzi
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I All that glitters ain’t gold, so the saying goes. The family of one bereaved believer has since found out that one should never trust a trustee.
The family of the late Maria Theresa Nakibuuka from Nakuwadde-Bbira-Lubanyi in Mumyuka Sub County, Wakiso District, has for month son end been caught up in a land dispute with the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Kampala.
It has taken the intervention of Uganda’s First Citizen for sobriety to prevail. President Yoweri Museveni has since assigned one of his strong men to intervene and save the day.
Brig Gen Moses Lukyamuzi, the head of the Presidential Special Task Force, has assured the family of 95-year-old Nakibuuka, who has since passed on, that the issue will be resolved promptly.
Brig Gen Lukyamuzi allegedly advised them to make arrangements for the burial and to establish a family committee to assist with investigations after conveying President Museveni’s message of condolence and providing the family with Shs10 million for burial support.
When she was still alive, the deceased reportedly entrusted her land documents to the Catholic Church officials due to her fears that land grabbers might harm her to obtain the documents.
This land, now valued at Shs 3 billion, is located in Busiro County, Block 306, Plot 2430.
Until her passing, Nakibuuka continually urged the church to return her land titles, which they declined, claiming she had donated the land to them. This situation compelled her to create a will stating that she should not be buried until the church produces the land title.
Moreover, the Katikkiro of the Nyonyi-Namungoona clan asserts that this land rightfully belongs to their clan and serves as their ancestral home. The clan maintains that there are over 50 burial sites on this land, making it impossible to relocate them elsewhere.
The land is claimed by the Nakulabye Catholic Parish, which plans to develop it under the Legion of Mary. Interestingly, the Catholic Church contends that Nakibuuka had transferred the title from her family to the Church, a claim her family disputes due to her illiteracy and inability to read or write. Her reputation for honesty was the reason she was appointed as the custodian of the land title.
According to Patrick Bisere, the family head, the late Nakibuuka was manipulated by the Catholic priests, leading to the loss of the land. Recent meetings with the Catholic Church at Rubaga Cathedral yielded no positive results.
After Museveni’s intervention, the church allegedly panicked and handed the contested title back to the rightful owners.
