The Anti-Corruption Unit of State House, working with Uganda Police, has arrested a senior lands official in Masaka over allegations of orchestrating a sprawling land fraud network that investigators say could have affected hundreds of landowners across Greater Masaka.
Zziwa Colbert Tamale, the Senior Land Officer at the Masaka Ministry Zonal Office, was arrested on Wednesday evening and is expected to be taken to court after investigations are completed.
The Anti-Corruption Unit says Zziwa is facing multiple allegations, including the alleged issuance of more than 265 illegal land titles covering Central Forest Reserve land and private property, as well as alleged collusion with other officials in the lands administration system.
The arrest places fresh scrutiny on the Masaka Ministry Zonal Office, a key government facility responsible for land registration and related services across eight districts.
The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development says the Masaka office handles land transactions covering Masaka, Bukomansimbi, Kalangala, Kalungu, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Rakai and Sembabule.
Former Vice President Ssekandi’s land allegedly targeted
Among the most serious allegations against Zziwa is a claim that he and other individuals created a fraudulent title over land belonging to former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi in Kyanamukaaka, Masaka.
According to the Anti-Corruption Unit, the alleged scheme involved reducing Ssekandi’s landholding from 83 acres to 34 acres, before the remaining land was allegedly subdivided into several plots.
The allegation adds a high-profile dimension to the investigation because Ssekandi has been involved in several land-related developments in Kyanamukaaka in recent years.
In 2024, Ssekandi handed over a 10-acre land title to government for the construction of Masaka District headquarters at Kyambazzi Village in Kyanamukaaka Sub-county. Government subsequently confirmed the site for the new district headquarters.
The Anti-Corruption Unit’s allegation, however, concerns a separate piece of land and must be tested through the investigations and, if charges are brought, before court.
265 titles under investigation
Investigators are also examining allegations that Zziwa was involved in the issuance of more than 265 illegal titles in Greater Masaka.
The Anti-Corruption Unit alleges that some of the titles were created on Central Forest Reserve land, while others allegedly involved private land.
The breadth of the allegations raises questions about how fraudulent transactions could allegedly pass through a government land administration system designed to verify ownership, boundaries and transactions.
Uganda’s National Land Information System (UgNLIS) was introduced to improve land administration, bring services closer to citizens and strengthen the security of land records. The system currently supports Ministry Zonal Offices across the country, including Masaka.
Yet concerns about fraud and inefficiencies in land offices have continued despite digitisation.
A June 2026 report by Daily Monitor, citing an Auditor General’s report, found that nearly a third of applications submitted to Ministry Zonal Offices remained unresolved, with land lawyers and experts calling for stronger action against corruption and poor performance within the offices.
Sembabule residents allegedly charged for ‘free’ titles
The Anti-Corruption Unit has also accused Zziwa of allegedly operating a scheme targeting residents in Sembabule.
According to the investigators, hundreds of residents were allegedly asked to pay money under the false promise that the payments would facilitate acquisition of land titles.
The accusation is particularly significant because the Ministry of Lands has been providing free titling to selected beneficiaries, particularly people facing eviction or land disputes.
If established, the allegations would mean residents may have been made to pay for a government service that was supposed to be provided without charge to eligible beneficiaries.
Sembabule has already been at the centre of concerns over alleged irregular land titling. In April 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture ordered an investigation into the alleged illegal titling of Ranch 25, a government ranch in Sembabule, by the Masaka Land Office without the Agriculture Ministry’s consent.
The latest arrest could therefore widen scrutiny of land transactions processed through the Masaka zonal office and potentially expose a larger network of officials and intermediaries.
More officials could come under scrutiny
The Anti-Corruption Unit alleges that Zziwa did not act alone, pointing to possible collusion with other land officials.
This could mean the investigation will extend beyond the arrested officer to establish how questionable titles were allegedly processed, approved and entered into official records.
The possible charges listed by investigators include abuse of office, fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title, conspiracy to commit a felony and forgery.
Zziwa has not been convicted of any offence, and the allegations against him remain subject to investigation and judicial determination.
The Anti-Corruption Unit has appealed to residents of Greater Masaka who may have complaints concerning Zziwa to come forward and assist investigators.
The agency said complaints can be reported to Masaka Police Station or through its toll-free line.
The arrest is likely to intensify pressure on the Ministry of Lands to establish whether the alleged irregular titles were isolated acts or part of a wider system of collusion within the Masaka land administration chain.
For thousands of residents whose livelihoods and homes depend on secure land ownership, the central question will now be whether the investigation can identify those behind the alleged schemes, establish how the disputed titles were processed and, ultimately, restore confidence in the integrity of land records in Greater Masaka.
