The High Court in Fort Portal City has declined a request made by businesswoman Beatrice Nyindombi Karanja to dismiss a legal case in which she is accused of fraudulently transferring the title of a 200-acre land located at Harugongo in Kabarole District. The case revolves around a dispute between Ms. Karanja and the family of the late Juma Hussein regarding land ownership.
Records reveal that between 1995 and 1997, Ms. Karanja provided financial assistance to the late Juma, who, in return, gave her a certificate of title as collateral. Allegedly, in 2010, Ms. Karanja urged the late Juma to let her use his land, claiming that there were encroachers.
Ms. Karanja’s attempt to have the case dismissed was based on her argument that it was filed beyond the time limit prescribed by the law. Her legal team, led by MacDosman Kabega, contended that the case was initiated 19 years after the alleged land transfer, suggesting that due diligence should have been exercised earlier. Additionally, they challenged the process through which six beneficiaries of the late Juma’s estate were included as plaintiffs in the case.
However, Justice Vincent Wagona, presiding over the case, ruled against Ms. Karanja’s application to have the case dismissed. He cited the Limitation Act, explaining that the case was filed in 2019, shortly after the discovery of the alleged fraud, and therefore fell within the 12-year limit outlined by the law. The judge also rejected the arguments regarding the inclusion of the six beneficiaries as plaintiffs, asserting that the process was conducted in accordance with the law and did not harm Ms. Karanja’s legal position.
Justice Wagona’s ruling now paves the way for the case to proceed. It is worth noting that the complainant, the late Juma Hussein, filed the case in 2019 after learning about the purported fraudulent transfer of his land during the same year. The legal battle over land ownership between Ms. Karanja and the late Juma’s family continues.
