A part of representatives from the Office of the Administrator General in Uganda are currently under intense scrutiny for allegedly mismanaging, grabbing, and illegally selling 320 acres of land in Busiro Block 429, Plot 3 at Kawuku–Bugiri. The land originally belonged to the late Mzee Andereya Mayanja Nakiyenje, who passed away in 1981 at Bwerenga–Busiro in Wakiso District.
After Mayanja passing away officials at the Administrator General’s office, allegedly in collusion with some family members, began orchestrating schemes to divide, distribute, and sell the estate without proper authorization.
Mzee Mayanja and his wife, Madalene Nakku, had only one son, Henry Kyobe, who suffered severe mental disabilities following an accident and remained of unsound mind throughout his life. In 1989, the Administrator General applied for letters of administration for Mayanja’s estate through Kampala High Court (Administration Cause No. 265 of 1989), and a grant was issued in June the same year.
In 1990, Justice Herbert Ntagoba declared that all of Mayanja’s property should belong solely to Henry Kyobe. Yet from 1993 until Kyobe’s death in 2019, the estate was never properly passed to him. Instead, in 1993, Mayanja’s widow, Madalene Nakku, and his brother, Bruno Senkatuka Serunkuuma, were erroneously granted letters of administration. This prompted the Administrator General to challenge the decision, which was eventually overturned, reaffirming Kyobe as the rightful heir.
Decades of Alleged Mismanagement
Due to Kyobe’s condition, he was unable to oversee the estate. Officials at the Administrator General’s office allegedly took advantage of this, selling and leasing large portions of the property over more than two decades. Ugandan law requires that estates of persons of unsound mind be managed by a competent guardian, with court approval needed for any sale, lease, subdivision, or mortgage. These rules, however, were reportedly ignored.
Records indicate that from 1996 onward, large portions of Mayanja’s estate were sold or leased. For instance, 50 acres were sold to Aurum Roses for Shs145,000,000, 40 acres leased to Scripture Union, and 30 acres transferred to Israel Mayengo for Shs8,000,000. Over the years, hundreds of smaller plots were sold, often to individuals believed to be proxies of the Administrator General’s officials. Many of these plots have remained undeveloped for years, raising suspicions about the legitimacy of the transactions.
Notable buyers included Dimintria Nabbantu Kaddugala, Paul Seminyigo Wavamuno, Thereza Najjuna, and several religious organizations, among many others. Despite a temporary court injunction issued by Her Worship Cissy K. Mudhasi, sales and transfers reportedly continued without legal authorization.
Court Interventions and Continued Irregularities
In 2019, Kyobe’s relatives took the Administrator General to court in Mpigi. Justice Godfrey Namundi found the office liable for mismanaging the estate and appointed Kyobe’s maternal aunt, Agati Nanteza, as the new estate administrator. Allegedly, Nanteza kept Kyobe, then 81, in her custody to continue the land sales unnoticed. Kyobe’s death in her custody in 2021 was reportedly concealed while she continued transferring land, including a four-acre plot sold to Rebecca Mbabazi for Shs130,000,000.
Nanteza was later convicted in 2023 and served an 18-month sentence at Luzira Prison. The court also canceled letters of administration granted to her, recognizing that Kyobe had already passed away at the time of the grant.
In subsequent rulings, Justice David Matovu instructed the Administrator General to:
1. Account for Kyobe’s estate from 1993 onward.
2. Recognize that the estate of Kyobe’s father should be managed separately.
3. Distribute remaining land to rightful beneficiaries among Kyobe’s relatives.
Despite these orders, the Administrator General has reportedly failed to fully comply, raising concerns that officials and their proxies continue to benefit from mismanaged land.
Way Forward
Kyobe’s family has filed High Court Civil Suit No. 59 of 2021 against the Administrator General and Attorney General, seeking full accountability, distribution of remaining land, and compensation for losses and damages caused by decades of mismanagement.
Investigations suggest that top officials, some of whom have since been transferred, remain deeply implicated in the scandal. With the matter currently before Justice John Eudes Keitirima, the outcome could set a precedent for holding government officials accountable for estate mismanagement in Uganda.
