33 Years on the Throne: How Kabaka Mutebi II Reclaimed Buganda's Land and Turned It into a Tool for Development

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II’s 33 years as Buganda’s monarch have been marked by efforts to recover kingdom assets lost after Uganda’s traditional kingdoms were abolished in 1966, and to use restored land for development. Mutebi was crowned the 36th Kabaka on 31 July 1993, the same month Parliament passed the Traditional Rulers (Restitution of Assets and Properties) Act, which created a legal route for returning confiscated property to cultural institutions.

According to the report, properties restored through negotiations have included Mengo Palace, Bulange, Butikkiro, Basiima House, Lubuga’s Palace at Rubaga, and about 350 square miles of land. Jjeza Farm was returned in 2003, the former State Lodge at Makindye followed in 2006, and a 2013 agreement between Kabaka Mutebi and President Yoweri Museveni led to the return of more administrative and urban properties, including county headquarters, markets and land.

The article says Buganda has sought to turn these assets into a revenue and tenure-management base through the Buganda Land Board. Its spokesperson, Denis Bugaya, said the Kyapa Mu Ngalo programme has provided documentation to bibanja holders, supported investment and helped reduce disputes and unlawful evictions. Nile Post also cites developments such as Mirembe Villas in Kiggo and housing projects in Sentema, with land proceeds said to support hospitals, scholarships and other community programmes.

However, the kingdom says restitution is unfinished. Bugaya told Nile Post that more than UGX 200 billion in ground rent remains outstanding, over 400 approved titles have not been handed over, and some properties are still occupied by government institutions. Talks with the central government are continuing.