Wakiso Land Dealer Jailed 8 Years for Fraudulent Sales

The High Court in Entebbe has handed down an eight-year prison sentence to Charles Kyagaba, 55, for a sophisticated land fraud scheme in Wakiso District. Kyagaba was convicted on two counts of obtaining money by false pretences.

Justice Karoli Lwanga Ssemogerere highlighted that Kyagaba’s actions expose significant weaknesses in Uganda’s land administration and legal systems, describing the repeated resales of the same land as “racketeering—an aspect of organized crime.”

The prosecution demonstrated that in 2016, Kyagaba fraudulently sold two plots of land in Zziru village, Wakiso District, to Ivan Kizito for Shs30 million. Kyagaba falsely claimed ownership, but the land actually belonged to the Registered Trustees of Kampala Archdiocese.

Kyagaba’s fraudulent activities created a chaotic chain of subsequent illegal resales, trapping other unsuspecting buyers who collectively paid an additional Shs50 million. The court also noted the apparent collusion of local administration officials who validated the fraudulent transactions.

This conviction comes amidst a surge in land fraud cases across Uganda, with the 2025 Annual Crime Report indicating a high number of false pretence and land fraud incidents nationwide. The state argued that Kyagaba’s actions caused significant community unrest.

In mitigation, Kyagaba’s defense counsel cited his remorse and a partial refund attempt, but the judge stressed the need for a deterrent sentence for such organized racketeering. Kyagaba was sentenced to four years on each count, to run consecutively, totaling eight years.