By Spy Uganda
Uganda’s Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has been thrown into fresh turbulence after line Minister Judith Nabakooba formally disowned the controversial interdiction and imprisonment of Commissioner for Land Registration, Mr. Baker Mugaino, laying the blame squarely on Inspector General of Government (IGG) Beti Kamya and the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dorcus Okalany.
In a letter to President Museveni dated 27th August 2025, Nabakooba revealed she was completely sidelined as her subordinate was illegally interdicted, dragged before cameras, and remanded to Luzira Prison under suspicious circumstances.
Illegal Interdiction Behind Closed Doors
According to Nabakooba’s communication, Mugaino’s interdiction was engineered by the IGG in collusion with the Permanent Secretary without her involvement as the line minister. Even more damning, the interdiction order came despite a court ruling (MA No. 324 of 2025) which had already restrained the IGG from implementing such a measure against him.
Further more, the attorney General Kiroowa Kiwanuka had also,in writing, advised Kamya NOT to Interdict Mugaino without the consent of the appointing authority, president Museveni. But Kamya,who seemingly had personal reasons went ahead and interdicted Mugaino.
The minister makes it clear that the “administrative order… restraining and preventing implementation” was blatantly disregarded.
This renders the entire interdiction process null and void under the law. By ignoring court orders, the IGG’s office not only acted ultra vires but also undermined judicial authority in what appears to be a politically charged vendetta.
How Mugaino Was Lured and Arrested
Sources close to the saga told our Spy a chilling account of betrayal. Mugaino had been invited to the IGG’s office under the guise of a dialogue. The purpose, our sources said, was to persuade him into dropping a case he had filed against Kamya for wrongful interdiction. In exchange, the IGG reportedly dangled a promise to lift the interdiction and restore him.
However, Mugaino—known for his unbending stance—flatly refused to barter away his case. That defiance, insiders reveal, is what triggered Kamya’s fury. What followed was a humiliating spectacle: Mugaino was paraded before the media, arrested on the spot, and charged before the Anti-Corruption Court. Within hours, he was whisked off to Luzira Prison like a common criminal.
Abuse of Office and Trial by Media
Legal experts argue that such high-handed maneuvers constitute to abuse of office and smack of persecution rather than prosecution. Arresting a senior commissioner under the glare of cameras, without prior due process, casts doubt on the impartiality of the proceedings.
More critically, the tactic of weaponizing interdictions—without hearings and in defiance of court restraining orders—sets a dangerous precedent for Uganda’s public service. It signals a collapse of lawful disciplinary mechanisms, replaced by shadowy bargains and strong-arm intimidation.
Minister’s Call for Presidential Intervention
In her letter, Nabakooba has urged Museveni to directly intervene, noting she has already tasked her Permanent Secretary to urgently liaise with the IGG’s office to address the illegality. She pledges to update the President once compliance with his directive is secured.
Her tone, however, suggests deep frustration at being bypassed in her own docket, leaving her office powerless against rogue machinations engineered in the shadows.
What Next?
The Mugaino saga has now escalated into a full-blown confrontation between the Ministry of Lands and the IGG’s office. On one hand stands Nabakooba, insisting on legality and ministerial authority; on the other, Kamya, accused of bending the law to settle personal scores.
At stake is not merely the fate of one commissioner but the credibility of Uganda’s governance structures—whether the rule of law can withstand arbitrary power plays dressed as “anti-corruption” crusades.
If the President does not decisively weigh in, Mugaino’s ordeal risks becoming the poster-child of institutional impunity, where lawful orders are ignored and whistleblowers punished under the very pretext of accountability.
