Kampala, Uganda – May 22, 2025
The Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Gomba, Nicodemus Sitenda Mugalu, was this morning arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala on charges of abuse of office, fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title, and forgery.
The case, brought by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions stems from Mugalu’s alleged role in the fraudulent creation of land titles on property owned by Madhvani Group Ltd, located on FRV 60 Folio 4 in Gomba District.
According to the prosecution, the offences took place between 2016 and 2017 when Mugalu, then serving as a Cartographer at the Mpigi lands office, deliberately plotted land that overlapped with an existing title held by the Madhvani Group. He is further accused of forging documents to convert the land from customary to freehold tenure and facilitating the issuance of fraudulent land titles in various individuals’ names.
The court heard that Mugalu’s actions were part of a broader land fraud scheme that has already led to the prosecution of Kakooza Jasper, the Acting Commissioner of Mapping and Surveys, and nine others.
Mugalu was remanded until June 5, 2025, as investigations continue. Prosecutors indicated that additional charges could follow as more details emerge in the high-profile case, which has raised alarm over the integrity of Uganda’s land administration systems.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit has reaffirmed its commitment to holding public officials accountable, warning that “no one is above the law.”
