Uganda: Minister Sam Mayanja Petitions Gen. Isoke Over Alleged Illegal Takeover of Uganda Scouts Land At Kazi

The Minister of State for Lands, Sam Mayanja, has petitioned the Head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Brig. Gen. Henry Isoke, calling for urgent intervention in what he describes as an attempted illegal takeover and mismanagement of assets belonging to the Uganda Scouts Association.

In a July 25, 2025, petition, Minister Mayanja raises alarm over the growing confusion and contestation surrounding the ownership and control of the 120-acre National Scouts Camping Centre in Kazi, Wakiso District.

His petition follows a plea from Ms. Alice Nyiramahoro, the Chief Commissioner of the Uganda Scouts Association, who raised concerns about internal divisions, unlawful occupation, and the risk of losing vital Scout land to private interests.

According to the minister, the land in question has become the subject of multiple claims. These include the Kabaka of Buganda, citing the 1993 Traditional Rulers (Restitution of Assets and Properties) Act; the family estate of the late H.H. Daudi Chwa II, supported by historical deeds and letters; and a group of Scouts basing their claim on a leasehold title dated August 2, 1988.

After thorough legal and historical review, Mayanja said he found the claim by the Daudi Chwa II estate to be the most legally grounded.

He pointed out that the estate’s mailo land rights were preserved under Article 126 of the 1967 Constitution and were unaffected by the 1993 Restitution Act or the 1975 Land Reform Decree.

In his letter, Mayanja directed that ownership of the Kazi land revert to the Daudi Chwa II estate.

He further recommended that 100 acres be formally transferred to the Uganda Scouts Association, while 20 acres be allocated to the estate of the late Omulangira G.W. Mawanda, the heir to Daudi Chwa II.

However, the process has hit a deadlock due to the expiry of letters of administration for both estates. Under such circumstances, the minister asserted that the Administrator General is now the lawful authority to oversee the administration, mutation, and transfer of the land.

The petition also reveals that certain factions within the Scouts Association and members of the Mawanda family have already taken physical possession of portions of the Kazi land, in what the Minister describes as a “forceful takeover.”

He cited this as a major threat to the legal process and urged immediate action to prevent further breakdown of order.

Mayanja also referenced a 2017 presidential directive designating the Ministry of Education and Sports as the parent ministry for both the Scouts and the Girl Guides associations.

He recommended that a statutory instrument be issued to clarify governance structures, decision-making processes, and financial and asset management protocols within the Scouts Association.

Given the complexity and sensitivity of the situation, Minister Mayanja has called on Brig. Gen. Isoke and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to take up the matter for investigation and appropriate action.

He further advised coordination with the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Administrator General, the Ministry of Lands, and the Military Police, who are currently overseeing security at the site.

“This matter has now escalated beyond the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Lands. It demands urgent and high-level intervention to protect national youth assets and prevent further illegalities,” Mayanja wrote.

The petition is the latest development in a long-running dispute over one of Uganda’s most iconic youth development centers and could mark a turning point in the government’s effort to safeguard the legacy and assets of the Uganda Scouts Association.