KAMPALA – Jinja South East Member of Parliament Paul Mwiru has called for a technical investigation into a land dispute involving competing ownership titles, saying the matter should be resolved through professional verification rather than prolonged arguments between the parties.
Mwiru made the remarks during a meeting with Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) officials, where he defended his company’s ownership claim, insisting that it had legally acquired the disputed land and obtained a title through the government registration process.
The legislator explained that before purchasing the land, he conducted an official search which identified the seller as the registered proprietor. He said the purchase was followed by the submission of transfer documents, after which the government registered the property in his company’s names.
Mwiru maintained that his company holds a valid land title, while acknowledging that another party had also presented documentation claiming ownership of the same property.
He argued that determining who originally prepared the competing titles, or whether forgery occurred, was not his responsibility, saying such allegations should be supported by evidence.
The MP said his lawyers had inspected the land, conducted boundary-opening exercises and completed the necessary procedures before the transaction was finalised.
He added that there had been no visible development or activity on the disputed land that would have alerted his company to an existing ownership contest at the time of purchase.
Mwiru further explained that when questions about the competing ownership claims emerged, he reached out to the concerned parties to establish whether the matter could be resolved through an open and transparent process.
He insisted that any allegation of fraud must be backed by forensic evidence, warning against making conclusions without proper investigations.
The legislator also questioned how the competing ownership claim had been handled during the land registration system’s digitalisation process, urging authorities to establish the history and status of the disputed title.
He said an official search conducted by his company had not revealed any information linking the other claimant to the property, adding that his company had relied on the information available in the government records when acquiring the land.
Mwiru urged the relevant technical authorities, particularly the Commissioner of Surveys, to examine the documents presented by both parties and provide an independent assessment to establish the rightful position.
He said a professional report from the relevant authorities would provide a clear basis for resolving the dispute, rather than allowing the parties to continue exchanging legal arguments without reaching a conclusion.
Mwiru maintained that his intention was to find an amicable and evidence-based solution, adding that his company was prepared to have the matter subjected to the appropriate legal and technical processes.
