Kampala businessman Moses Namatiti, through his company Namex Ministries Limited, has sued Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa and businessman Hamis Kiggundu over alleged land grabbing and the unlawful demolition of property.
According to court documents, the two are jointly sued alongside the Kampala District Land Board, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), and Kiham Enterprises Uganda Limited in Civil Suit No. 0049 of 2026.
Through its lawyers, Kintu Nteza & Co. Advocates, Namex Ministries Limited contends that in 2007 it was approached by the management committee of Nakivubo Settlement Primary School seeking a partnership to construct a sanitation facility for use by students, teachers, and nearby families.
Namex says it agreed to the proposal on condition that it would be allowed to construct separate commercial units — including shops, offices, and public sanitation facilities — on the western end of the school land adjacent to St. Balikuddembe (Owino) Market.
The proposal was subsequently presented to the then Kampala City Council (KCC), the controlling authority of the school, for approval. According to the company, KCC, through the Senior Principal Town Clerk, approved the proposal and later produced the design and architectural drawings for a four-storey structure, including a Bill of Quantities and a commencement letter which were handed to Namex Ministries for implementation.
Namex Ministries Limited says it fully implemented the project by constructing the four-storey structure in accordance with KCC specifications for the mutual benefit of the school, the surrounding community, and the company.
The company further claims that it has occupied and operated its investments on the land since 2007 until the night of March 7, 2026, when businessman Hamis Kiggundu allegedly deployed security operatives and individuals who used heavy machinery to demolish the buildings before looting merchandise from the premises.
Through its lawyers, Namex Ministries accuses the Kampala District Land Board of fraudulently processing a land title in favour of Deputy Speaker Tayebwa for land it claims had been occupied and utilized by the company for nearly two decades. The company argues that the land was not available for lease and that the title issued to Tayebwa is therefore null and void.
The company also accuses Kiggundu of impunity, greed, and land grabbing, alleging that he deployed security officers and hired individuals who demolished the commercial buildings in the early hours of March 7, 2026, without following due process.
In the suit, Namex Ministries Limited is seeking several remedies, including a declaration that it is the lawful owner of the land on Plot 22A Nakivubo Road and the cancellation of the certificate of title held by Tayebwa on grounds of fraud and illegality.
The company is also asking court to order Hamis Kiggundu to pay Shs5 billion in compensation for damages resulting from what it describes as the illegal demolition of its property.
The case has been assigned to the Head of the Land Division, Justice Damalie Lwanga, for management. Court has also summoned the accused parties to file their defence within 15 days from the date they receive the court documents.
“Should you fail to file a defence on or before the date mentioned, the plaintiff may proceed with the suit and judgment may be given in your absence,” the court documents read.
In a separate statement on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Tayebwa confirmed that he obtained a lease for a plot in the Nakivubo area in 2018.
“This was done through the formal and legal processes available to any citizen — I applied, followed the stipulated procedures, and paid all the requisite fees like anyone else,” he wrote.
According to Tayebwa, he later submitted building plans for approval, but KCCA informed him that the land was required for strategic activities and public purposes.
“KCCA then offered to compensate me and I accepted their proposal. KCCA went ahead and took possession of the land approximately three years ago,” he added.
The development comes after four individuals were charged and remanded to Luzira Prison for allegedly carrying out a demolition without permission from city authorities.
