By Jako David Waluluka
Following an inquest into rampant corruption, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Namisango Kamya, has ordered Dorcas Okalany, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Lands, to immediately interdict the Commissioner for Land Registry, Mr. Baker Mugaino, over the same allegations.
The interdiction of Mr. Mugaino follows the commencement of investigations into fraudulent cancellation and transfer of land titles in the office attributed to his docket. A surprise investigation team that raided Mugaino’s office on April 24, 2025, reportedly unearthed a cache of documents linking and confirming the accusations, according to the IGG.
Kamya has linked Mugaino to a cartel at the registry that champions the cancellation of genuine certificates of titles, arbitrarily lifting caveats, and suspect multi-titling of land that has plagued the office. Some of these documents include payments from the Buganda Land Board to his personal account.
In a letter dated April 25, 2025, Kamya stated that this development will facilitate the investigation into the allegations without interference from the powerful invisible hand of Mugaino. The IGG also ordered that her recommendation be put into effect by the top Ministry of Lands overseers within seven days upon receipt of her letter.
Incidentally, Mugaino’s plight comes just after the State House Anti-Corruption Unit arrested Jasper Kakooza, the acting Commissioner of Mapping and Surveys in the ministry, along with nine others, over allegations of double titling and land grabbing of 1400 acres of land in Musongole Village, Mpenja Sub-county in Gomba district, belonging to the Madivani group, a day prior.
Regarding Hajji Baker Mugaino:
Hajji Baker Mugaino is the Commissioner of Land Registration in Uganda. He is also an advocate of the High Court of Uganda and a member of the Ministry of East African Community Affairs.
Mugaino has a long history of working with the Lands Registration department until he was later appointed as a full commissioner to head the department, allegedly under the watchful eye and tutelage of Sarah Kulata, his predecessor, with whom he still enjoys a cordial working relationship.
Mugaino is also alleged to have been a thorn in the land transactions of some prominent individuals, including Michael Nuwagira, aka Toyota, among others. He has clashed with his seniors at the ministry, including the former minister Judith Nabakooba and, until recently, Sam Mayanja, the head of the ministry, over similar allegations.
