A mediation process facilitated through Mediation Concept Avenue and the Land Management Centre in Matugya has reportedly resolved the long-standing ownership dispute surrounding Nakigalala Tea Estate, with the outcome favouring the family of the late Kabaka Daudi Chwa II as the original owners of the estate, rather than the investor, Madhvani.
The dispute involved competing historical ownership claims between the family of the late Kabaka Daudi Chwa II and that of the late Kabaka Sunna II, with Madhvani’s investment interests in the tea estate adding another dimension to the disagreement.
Through the mediation process, the parties reportedly reached a settlement recognising the Daudi Chwa family as the rightful owners of Nakigalala Estate, resolving the competing claims and clarifying the family’s position in relation to the investor’s interests.
The outcome is significant because earlier communications and interpretations of original historical maps had associated the estate with the family of Kabaka Sunna II. However, the mediation process reached a different conclusion, recognising the Daudi Chwa family as the original owners of the disputed property.
The disagreement was complicated by the historical connections of both royal families to estates within the same geographical area, making it necessary to establish the specific boundaries and ownership interests attached to Nakigalala.
The involvement of Madhvani as an investor in the tea estate further complicated the matter, particularly given the commercial activities conducted on the land and the government’s interest in its potential development.
The resolution through mediation provides an opportunity to clarify the relationship between the original landowners and the investor, while potentially opening the way for government development interests to be addressed without prolonged ownership disputes.
For the Daudi Chwa family, the reported outcome represents recognition of its ancestral land interests following competing claims that had raised questions about the estate’s historical ownership.
The development also highlights the importance of mediation in resolving complex land disputes involving royal families, private investors and government interests, particularly where historical maps and ownership records have generated conflicting interpretations.
Attention will now turn to the formal documentation of the settlement, the status of existing land titles and the arrangements governing the investor’s interests in the estate.
