KAMPALA . The embattled Commissioner Land Registration, Mr Baker Mugaino has been arrested and dragged to the Anti-Corruption Court in Nakasero,a Kampala City suburb .
Mugaino was arrested by officials from the Inspectorate of Government (IG) and is to face charges of abuse of office and corruption.
A file by the IGG indicates that between April 8 and 20 2025, Mugaino, while employed in the public service as Commissioner of Land Registration, abused his authority by arbitrarily performing acts prejudicial to his employer’s interests – the Government of Uganda, Tropical Bank Limited, Gerald Magera Akugizibwe, and Namayiba Park Hotel.
He is accused of irregularly cancelling certificates of title his office had issued to Tropical Bank, Akugizibwe, and Namayiba for land in Kibuga Block 12 Plots 658, 659, and 665 in Kisenyi, Kibuga Block 4 Plot 152 in Namirembe, and Kisugu, Kyadondo Block 244 Plot 2506.
The prosecution also alleges that Mugaino neglected his duties in April this year when handling a complaint about the disputed land.
During the same month , the IGG ordered the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands , Ms Dorcas Okalany to interdict Mugaino over allegations of fraudulent cancellation and transfer of land titles, which has been a longstanding issue plaguing the country’s land management system.
According to the IGG, Mr Mugaino is accused of engaging in corrupt practices, including cancelling genuine Certificates of Titles, arbitrarily lifting caveats, and facilitating multiple titling of land.
The directive follows a series of complaints from the public, which prompted the IGG to conduct a search at Mr Mugaino’s office on April 24.
During the search, evidence of alleged malpractices was uncovered, including issuing Freehold Titles to foreigners, changing Mailo Land to Freehold Titles without following procedures, and disregarding court decisions.
The IGG’s letter also highlights the importance of accountability in public service, emphasising that the interdiction is pursuant to Article 225 (1) (e) of the Constitution and Section 7(1) (e) of the Inspectorate of Government Act, CAP 32.