Ugandans demand lasting solutions to land wrangles

At 85 years old, Regina Nalubega should be spending her sunset years in peace. Instead, she finds herself entangled in a fierce land conflict that has left her traumatised and imprisoned. 

A resident of Lugangu Village in Najja Sub-County, Buikwe District, Nalubega says she legally acquired her land in 1980 from a man named Joseph Wasswa and has lived on it ever since. Her troubles escalated following the death of her husband, when a dispute arose over the ownership of the land. 

The matter ended up before a Grade One Magistrate, Martin Wakayemba, who ruled that Nalubega should vacate the land within 30 days and pay sh6m in costs. She spent a month in prison and is now appealing for help. Her relatives have since petitioned the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, seeking urgent intervention.

Nalubega’s story is one of many unfolding across the country, with Ugandans lamenting a surge in land disputes ahead of the 2026 general elections. Results of a recent nationwide survey by Vision Group, conducted under the Citizens’ Manifesto initiative between March and May 2025, show that 48% of respondents identified land grabbing and insecurity as their most pressing concern as the country heads to the polls.

Reporting by Michael Odeng