The Kabaka on January 31, 2017 wrote to Museveni informing him that land on which part of State House Entebbe sits, plot M.26 has always been property of Buganda Kingdom and suggested that, among other issues, the government should take out a lease.
Museveni acknowledged in his initial response that the land indeed belongs to Buganda. However, the president suggested that Buganda would have to allow the government to buy the land (Plot No M.26), and put the matter to rest.
He wrote: “I have noted the contents of your letter dated January 31, 2017 regarding plot M.26, land located at State House, Entebbe grounds. I will request the minister of Lands and the Attorney General to verify the ownership of the plot. If it is indeed part of the lands which were handed to His Highness in 2013, then my proposal is government buys it. We do not like the idea of rent. It becomes a perpetual hemorrhage on the treasury. Owning such plots is better than leasing,”
But Mengo, preferred a long-term lease arrangement through which the kingdom would be assured of consistent payments from government, in addition to retaining ownership of the land.
In a twist of events the Betty Amongi, the Lands Minister and wife to Jimmy Akena (Milton Obote’s son), on May 16, 2016 wrote a letter to Museveni, asserting that her ministry had found that the land belongs to the central government.
It should be remembered that Milton Obote attacked the Kabaka’s palace and also abolished kingdoms in Uganda and further confiscated kingdom property.
“Plot No M.26 Entebbe is registered under freehold register volume 94 folio 16 in the name of Buganda Land Board having been registered on a transfer dated 3rd May 1963 from Uganda Land Commission under instrument No 154993 of August 28, 1963. The current registered proprietor of the said land is Uganda Land Commission (under article 108 of the constitution),” Amongi wrote.