The dispute over Katanga land near Wandegeya has taken a new twist, with city pastor Godfrey Luwaga accused of seeking to evict Kibanja holders in defiance of court decisions.
Luwaga, the director of Nanziza Construction Company Limited, is accused, alongside Makerere University administrators, of conspiring to forcefully take over part of the land occupied by people claiming rights through Pr. Daniel Walugembe.
Luwaga, who also heads City of the Lord Church in Kalerwe, Kawempe Division, was previously linked to the church building that collapsed in March 2006, killing several worshippers.
In June 2026, the Land Division of the High Court dismissed a case in which Makerere University had sought to evict Pastor Walugembe from the Katanga Valley land.
The court also ordered the university to pay Walugembe’s legal costs, citing abuse of court process after establishing that Makerere had filed two cases against him, one in the High Court and another in the Court of Appeal.
It is alleged that in 2025, Luwaga, through Nanziza Construction Company Limited, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Makerere University under which he was purportedly allocated two plots on the disputed Katanga land.
According to documents relating to the arrangement, the land allocated to Luwaga is adjacent to Mulago Hospital Mortuary and comprises a washing bay, garages and buildings housing shops, all of which are under the occupation of people claiming rights through Pastor Walugembe.
However, tension erupted on Friday among washing bay workers and shop operators after the chairperson of Busia Zone announced a meeting to be addressed by the Head of the State House Land Protection Unit, Brig. Gen. Moses Lukyamuzi, without prior notice.
Some occupants objected to the meeting, alleging that it was being used as a pretext to demolish their workplaces without following the due process of the law.
Darius Muteesa, one of the operators in the area, described the move as an abuse of authority, arguing that the meeting was intended to disrupt their business operations.
“It is unfortunate that after losing all cases in court, Makerere University is colluding with Pastor Luwaga to evict people who are lawfully in occupation of their bibanja,” Muteesa said.
He added that the occupants had received information that the university and Luwaga were planning to demolish their buildings.
According to Muteesa, university administrators had allegedly misled government officials in the State House Land Protection Unit, using political leaders to initiate investigations into a matter that had already been determined by court.
However, Samuel Isooba, the chairperson of Busia Zone in Wandegeya, described the developments as a security concern and urged the parties involved to resolve their differences through courts of law to avoid disrupting business activities in the area.
“We received a letter from the State House Unit for Land and Environment led by Brig. Lukyamuzi stating that a person (Luwaga) had complained that Makerere University handed him a portion of Katanga land to take care of. So they investigated a case and they were coming to the locus to give us a report,” Isooba said.
He explained that the portion reportedly allocated to Luwaga is already occupied by car washers, who also claim that Makerere University initially gave them the land to develop.
Isooba said the car washers were only caretakers without formal ownership documents but were demanding compensation.
“As we waited for the meeting to receive the report, the situation turned into a security concern due to threats of fights. We are aware that the land belongs to Makerere University, but the bibanja are owned by different people,” he added.
Deputy Resident City Commissioner Lukka Kagenyi said security officials had received intelligence indicating a possible outbreak of violence, prompting them to advise Brig. Gen. Lukyamuzi not to attend the meeting.
“The land in Katanga belongs to Makerere University, but the Kibanja belongs to Pastor Walugembe. We are aware of the Memorandum of Understanding between Makerere and Nanziza, but it was done illegally without consulting the Kibanja holder,” Kagenyi said.
He advised Makerere University administrators to engage Pastor Walugembe and seek an amicable settlement to prevent further conflict.
When contacted, Pastor Luwaga declined to comment, saying he preferred to speak to anyone face-to-face.
The Katanga land dispute dates back several years. In 2015, the High Court ruled that the Katanga Valley land was occupied by four family members and their licensees, including Pastor Walugembe, whom it recognised as lawful occupants whose rights are protected under the laws governing land ownership.
The four family members are Jonathan Yosamu Masembe, Blasio Buyisi, George Kalimu and Samalie Nambogga.
They have been engaged in a legal battle with Makerere University and the Commissioner for Land Registration over the cancellation of their land titles and the university’s claim to ownership of the disputed property.
