The arrest and remand of Baker Mugaino, Commissioner for Land Registration, marks the latest high-profile development in a sweeping crackdown on land fraud at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mugaino was remanded to Luzira Prison on Tuesday after appearing before the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption and abuse of office. His bail hearing was postponed to June 5 after his sureties failed to appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The charges, filed by the Inspectorate of Government (IG), accuse Mugaino of arbitrarily cancelling land titles between April 8 and 20, 2025, in what officials describe as a misuse of public office. The affected titles include plots in Kisenyi, Namirembe, and Kisugu \u2014 previously issued to Tropical Bank Ltd, Akugizibwe Gerald Mugera, and Namayiba Park Hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis conduct was procedurally irregular and detrimental to the interests of both government and private parties,\u201d the IG said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mugaino is also accused of neglecting statutory duties under Section 85 of the Land Act while handling a complaint related to the same parcels of land. The IG maintains that he failed to execute his responsibilities as Commissioner, violating both the law and his official schedule of duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His arrest follows a series of anti-corruption measures within the ministry, triggered by growing public concern over fraudulent land transactions. In April, Inspector General of Government Beti Kamya ordered Mugaino\u2019s interdiction to pave the way for a transparent investigation. The move was preceded by a search operation at his office on April 24, during which investigators seized key documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ongoing probe reflects mounting pressure on the Lands Ministry, long plagued by complaints of title forgery, double allocations, and illegal transfers. Mugaino\u2019s case is being seen by analysts as a test of government resolve to confront entrenched corruption in one of Uganda\u2019s most sensitive and fraud-prone sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While investigations continue, Mugaino remains in remand and is expected back in court on June 5 for the bail hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ministry of Lands has yet to comment on whether an acting commissioner will be appointed during the ongoing proceedings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The arrest and remand of Baker Mugaino, Commissioner for Land Registration, marks the latest high-profile development in a sweeping crackdown on land fraud at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development. Mugaino was remanded to Luzira Prison on Tuesday after appearing before the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala, where he pleaded not guilty to charges […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2270,"featured_media":39977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[98],"tags":[31,8407,109,119],"class_list":["post-39976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured","tag-ministry-of-lands","tag-news","tag-uganda-news"],"yoast_head":"\n