Six Remanded Over Eviction of Widow from Late Husband’s Land in Butaleja

What the report says

A Butaleja court has remanded six men accused of forcibly evicting a widow and her children from land linked to her late husband, in a case that has drawn attention to disputes over property left behind by deceased men. The case is being heard in Butaleja District, eastern Uganda, and the accused were sent to Butaleja Government Prison after appearing before Grade I Magistrate Ategeka Ignatius.

According to police and prosecution, the men are alleged to have taken over the land after the death of Baluka Madina’s husband, Wandago Kuzairi, in November 2022. The suspects — all residents of Tahajahadamba Village in Kachonga Sub-county — were charged with forcible entry and interfering with the property of a deceased person. They denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors said the land was occupied without approval from the Administrator General, which is required in managing estates of deceased persons. They also alleged that the widow and her seven children were removed from the land, leaving the family without shelter and disrupting the children’s schooling. The magistrate declined a bail request, citing procedure, and returned the case for mention on August 12, 2026. The court also noted wider concern about reported cases in which widows are pushed out of homes after their husbands die, a pattern that officials say should be resolved through lawful channels.