KAMPALA, Uganda: The air was thick with anticipation and unease outside the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court as the city stirred to life. But this wasn’t just another busy morning. For some of Uganda’s most powerful men, it was an extraordinary day of reckoning. One that forced them out of their comfort zones and onto unfamiliar ground, all in a bid to stand with one man… Commissioner Baker Mugaino.
Mzee Gerald Ssendawula, Uganda’s 82-year-old former Finance Minister and respected elder, was seen trudging through the morning fog, having risen unusually early to beat Kampala’s notorious traffic. Nearby, the wealthy and usually chauffeured Ahmed Omar Mandela, Chairman of the Mandela Group, shocked bystanders when he zipped past on a Boda-boda. And in the same crowd, Omar Mohamed, a respected public official and businessman, was spotted hastily making his way on foot.
Why? Because their own, Baker Mugaino, the Commissioner for Land Registration, was being arraigned for corruption and abuse of office, charges many termed as trumped-up! The case had been sanctioned by none other than the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Olive Namisango Kamya Turomwe aka BONKT, now widely seen as taking a no-holds-barred approach to fighting graft, or advancing other interests, depending on whom you ask.
A Powerful Ally Falls
Mugaino, who had earlier been summoned by the IGG ostensibly to record a statement, was instead ambushed, arrested, and frog-marched to court before the media’s cameras. There, he was charged and remanded to Luzira Prison. The charges? That he arbitrarily cancelled land titles allegedly without due process, for Tropical Bank, Gerald Akugizibwe, and Namayiba Park Hotel, located in the highly contested and commercially strategic Kisenyi area, particularly Kibuga Block 12, Plots 658, 659, and 665.
While the IGG insists Mugaino abused his office and compromised the land registration process, insiders, and powerful backers, argue the exact opposite. They contend that Mugaino is targeted because he stood in the way of a high-level land cartel.
“My Daughter Has Disappointed Me”
Courtroom whispers turned heads as observers noticed the gravity of the figures present in support of Mugaino. Most notably, Mzee Ssendawula, who hails from Rakai, a village neighboring IGG Kamya’s ancestral home, was overheard lamenting, “My daughter has disappointed me.” Sources close to the elder confirm that Ssendawula and the late Mzee George Wilson Kamya, Beti Kamya’s father, were close friends, further deepening the sense of betrayal.
Mandela, on the other hand, could not hide his fury. Eyewitnesses claim he was seen shouting into his phone, presumed to be addressing Kamya directly thus; “My son can live without this s**y job of yours. Stop playing around, you woman!” Their outrage stems not just from personal loyalty to Mugaino, but from a deeper belief that his prosecution is politically motivated, or worse, orchestrated to serve private interests masquerading under the guise of justice.
The Kamya Conundrum
For some time now, Kamya has come under quiet scrutiny for allegedly advancing interests far removed from her official duty. Critics point to her continued pursuit of Mugaino, despite clear indications from Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, to reverse the Commissioner’s interdiction following a legal review.
But Kamya persisted, citing “fresh charges” and evidence obtained from an earlier raid of Mugaino’s office on April 24, 2025. She accused him of various acts, lifting caveats arbitrarily, creating overlapping land titles, and issuing freehold titles to foreigners. However, legal observers note that most of these claims relate to administrative decisions that, if improper, fall within internal disciplinary measures and not criminal courtrooms. And therein lies the heart of the controversy.
Tale Of A Shady Land Deal Worth UGX370 Billion
At the core of this saga lies a controversial land deal stretching back to January 2023, when Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago blew the whistle on a hitherto planned government purchase of 10 acres in Kisenyi, from city businessman John Bosco Muwonge. The land was to be used to resettle street vendors, with each acre priced at a staggering USD10M, a jaw-dropping UGX37Bn per acre.
Lukwago called the proposal “obscene.” Still, the deal nearly went through until the Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija, blocked it over unresolved land wrangles that had arose. Those same wrangles, it turns out, are deeply connected to the land titles Mugaino had initially approved and later cancelled when he discovered the existence of older court-ordered caveats on the same land. The cancellation, however, dashed the hopes of the land cartel that had hoped to revive the Kisenyi mega-deal. Critics now say this cartel may have turned to Kamya to take Mugaino out of the equation.
Connecting the Dots: Who Is Driving Whom?
Though Beti Kamya has not publicly responded to allegations of political or commercial motivation, the convergence of facts paints a damning picture. Mugaino’s legal troubles escalated only after he cancelled titles benefitting Namayiba Park Hotel, Tropical Bank, and Akugizibwe Gerald, all of whom allegedly had links to Muwonge’s contested Kisenyi plots.
Moreover, it’s not lost on observers that Kamya has shown surprising tenacity in pursuing Mugaino, even resisting the Attorney General’s legal guidance and moving to charge him anew, just as the controversy seemed to be cooling. Meanwhile, Mugaino’s defenders argue he acted to protect public interest, fearing the government would be sued for contempt if the illegal titles stood. And now, in what some call a twist of irony, he is being punished for doing exactly what his job required.
What Next?
As June 25, 2025 approaches, the date when Mugaino will be answering to his bail, many eyes remain fixed on this drama that intertwines power, land, politics, and justice. In the corridors of influence, whispers grow louder that the case is not just about a Commissioner gone rogue, but about which Uganda we are building! One ruled by law, or one run by cartels!
One thing is certain though. When a renowned Banker, Farmer and former Finance Minister, a billionaire tycoon, and a high-ranking official, all race to court to associate with, and stand for a man, the matter is far from ordinary. And when even their clout is no match for a determined IGG like Beti Kamya, the nation deserves to ask… who’s really pulling the strings?
Author Profile
- Mr. Daniels N. Tatya is an affluent Sports Writer, Commentator and Editor. His over 15 years of covering almost major sporting events makes him a revered and an authority on investigative Sports journalism in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected] +256(0)758268315
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I have known Betty Kamya from way back when she lived in Jinja on Main street opposite Biashara Super Market…from my recollection, she has never been one to stand on principle! It is apparent she’s being used to fight truth and justice. Big up on you Daniel for such an insightful piece! Baker will be exonerated.