Since 2015, popular lawyer Hassan Male Mabirizi has remained elusive, tirelessly seeking substantial evidence. He has successfully initiated multiple legal actions and petitions related to land disputes against the Kabaka of Buganda. Many of these legal actions have yet to reach a resolution.
According to Mabirizi, he aims to halt the scheduled mass settler’s registration and ground rent collection, locally termed “Obusuulu,” conducted by the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, and associated institutions such as ‘Buganda Nkuluze’ and Buganda Land Board (BLD). He seeks an injunction until the court can adjudicate on the main lawsuit he filed in 2022, challenging the Kabaka’s transactions on Mailo land.
In this lawsuit, Mabirizi contends that the King is unlawfully imposing land registration fees with threats against Mailo land residents and collecting a 10% charge on the sale value of land or Kibanja. He further challenges the Kabaka’s claims as a landowner of Mailo land and collecting fees from non-lease Buganda residents on Mailo land.
Mabirizi has made unsuccessful attempts to summon the King in person to court and to force the King to declare his collections from land rent and block the land registration process. Recently, he has appealed to the Court of Appeal to prevent various government entities, including the Attorney General, the Court of Judicature, ministries, the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda People’s Defense Forces, Kampala Capital City Authority, and local governments from providing support, recognition, and protection to the Kabaka and related activities.
In previous legal encounters involving high-ranking individuals in Uganda, Mabirizi has persistently pursued legal charges. Notably, he has targeted the Kabaka on a previous occasion, and he also attempted to report the President of the leading opposition party in Uganda, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, over academic credentials, as well as General Muhoozi, the first son. Mabirizi has been a tenacious legal challenger, and it remains to be seen whether his current efforts will yield victory in court.
