By Karim Were
A senior government land officer has been remanded after appearing before the Anti-Corruption Court over allegations of illegally facilitating the transfer of public land to a private individual.
Advertisiment 
The accused, Kigaye, was arraigned following investigations by the Anti-Corruption Unit working jointly with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). He was remanded until July 16, 2026, as investigations continue.
Prosecutors allege that between September 2019 and May 2023, while serving as a Senior Land Management Officer in Mbale City, Kigaye abused his office by facilitating the processing of a land title for Plot 27, Bishop Masaba Road in favour of businessman Moses Wamatsembe.
According to the prosecution, the land had already been lawfully allocated to the Dairy Development Authority (DDA), making the issuance of the title irregular and prejudicial to government interests.
Court documents further state that Kigaye allegedly processed and enabled the registration of a freehold certificate of title, referenced as FRV MBA199 Folio 22 under Instrument Number MBA-0009476, covering approximately 0.5040 hectares at Plot 27, Bishop Masaba Road in Fairway Cell, in Wamatsembe’s names.
The Anti-Corruption Unit says the prosecution is part of broader efforts to combat abuse of office, protect public land from fraudulent acquisition, and strengthen accountability among public officials entrusted with managing state resources.
The case is scheduled to return to the Anti-Corruption Court on July 16, 2026, when Kigaye is expected to reappear for further proceedings.
