Kampala- The year 2025 is ending with another major milestone for the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) after securing a decisive Victory in a High Court case involving land grabbers.
UMSC successfully defended itself against a group of eleven individuals, led by Francis Tuhwerize, who had fraudulently claimed ownership of prime land belonging to the council measuring approximately one square mile. The disputed land, earmarked as Ranch 17A under the Bunyoro Ranch Scheme, is located in Kiryandongo Muslim District within the Bunyoro–Toro Muslim region.
The matter was filed as High Court Civil Suit No. 0045 of 2023 and was heard by Hon. Justice Isah Sserunkuma at the Masindi High Court.According to the plaint, Tuhwerize alleged that he had purchased the disputed land in early 2023 from J.J. Otim, a former Presidential Advisor on Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Affairs. He later subleased portions of the land to ten other individuals, bringing the total number of applicants to eleven, with UMSC named as the respondent.
However, the applicants failed to attach any documentary evidence to substantiate the alleged purchase or prove lawful ownership of the land.
UMSC demonstrated that the disputed land was originally part of a larger five-square-mile property acquired in 1976. The land was intended for ranching activities involving cattle, sheep, and goats, with a broader plan to export livestock to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to serve the market during the annual pilgrimage to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. This initiative collapsed following the overthrow of the late President Idi Amin.
Following the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government’s assumption of power in 1986, land reforms were introduced, including ranch restructuring. Under these reforms, the government took over portions of ranch land on the condition that owners would be compensated. This process affected several UMSC ranches across the country. In the case of Ranch 17A, the government took over four square miles, leaving UMSC with one square mile—the same portion later grabbed by Tuhwerize Francis in 2023.
When Kiryandongo Muslim District was carved out of Masindi Muslim District, His Eminence Dr. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, the Mufti of Uganda, directed the leadership of the newly created Muslim district, under Kadhi Sheikh Sulaiman Bwayo, to take all necessary steps to recover grabbed Muslim land, including the remaining portion of the disputed ranch.
The Muslim District leadership traced records from the Kiryandongo District Land Office and the Ministry of Lands headquarters in Kampala, where they obtained official documentation confirming that the land belonged to UMSC.
When UMSC officials attempted to access the land, they were confronted by Tuhwerize, who falsely claimed to be a bona fide occupant and reportedly acted hostilely towards them. He went as far as petitioning the Office of the President, alleging that his life was in danger and claiming that Muslims intended to kill him in order to take his land.
The situation was later clarified when Ms. Gertrude Njumba, Head of the Land Tribunal in the Office of the President, visited the site and required both parties to present proof of ownership. Tuhwerize Francis failed to provide any evidence, while UMSC presented concrete and verifiable documentation.
Despite this, Tuhwerize and his alleged sub-lessees proceeded to file a court case claiming ownership of the land, yet again without producing supporting evidence.
In his ruling, Hon. Justice Isah Sserunkuma held that High Court Civil Suit No. 0045 of 2023, Tuhwerize Francis & 11 Others versus Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, did not disclose any cause of action or indicate when such a cause of action arose. The suit was consequently struck out.
