By Ebenezer Adurokiya, Reporting
MUKONO – The High Court has consolidated several land cases filed by the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, against 12 district local governments and the Attorney General into a single, comprehensive suit to be heard in Mukono.
In a ruling delivered recently, Justice Stephen Mubiru directed that seven civil suits previously lodged in various High Court circuits — including Masaka, Kiboga, Mubende, Lugazi, Luwero and Kampala — be merged with the Mukono matter for joint hearing and determination.
The Kabaka contends that a number of Buganda Kingdom properties confiscated during the 1966 political crisis were restored under the Traditional Rulers (Restitution of Assets and Properties) Act and subsequently formalised through a 2013 agreement with President Yoweri Museveni.
Despite this restoration, he argues that several government entities have continued to occupy and utilise the land without paying rent, entering into lease agreements, purchasing the property or vacating the premises.
Court documents indicate that some of the contested properties currently host public facilities such as district headquarters, Uganda Prisons installations, Bombo Military Hospital, staff quarters, Air Force barracks, Air Force Secondary School Entebbe, the UPDF camp at Kitala and the National Military Radar Centre.
The Kabaka is seeking remedies for trespass, recovery of land, unjust enrichment and alleged violation of his constitutional right to property.
The Attorney General opposed the application for consolidation, maintaining that the cases involve different parcels of land situated in separate districts, each requiring distinct evidence, including land titles, valuation reports and testimony from district officials.
Government lawyers further argued that merging the suits could present logistical challenges and lead to delays.
However, Justice Mubiru ruled that the cases raise substantially similar legal and factual questions.
“For consolidation to be granted, the suits do not need to be identical, but they must demonstrate complete or substantial similarity of the issues,” the judge stated.
He observed that the central issue across all the cases is whether the continued occupation of restored Buganda Kingdom land by government entities is lawful.
“The central issues relate to the enforcement of private property rights in circumstances of their restoration following a history of appropriation by Government,” Justice Mubiru ruled.
He cautioned that hearing the matters separately could result in conflicting judgments.
“When the same subject matter is litigated in different courts, there is a risk of inconsistent outcomes,” he noted.
The judge added that consolidation would allow the court, if necessary, to undertake a “global assessment of damages based on similar principles” should the Kabaka prevail.
Meanwhile, the court has directed the Kabaka to file a consolidated plaint by 20 March 2026.
The respondents will thereafter submit their defences, and a full hearing has been scheduled for 15 April 2026.
Costs arising from the consolidation application will be determined in the main suit.
The outcome of the case is expected to carry significant implications for both the Buganda Kingdom and the affected district local governments, particularly regarding how restored kingdom land currently occupied by public institutions should be managed — whether through compensation, lease agreements or alternative arrangements.
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