A senior lands official in Ssembabule District has been arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court over allegations that he collected nearly UGX 1 billion from people seeking government land titles.
Kananura Emmanuel Champion, the Senior Land Management Officer of Ssembabule District, was brought to court this afternoon on charges of embezzlement, abuse of office, corruption and obtaining money by false pretence.
The case was handled by the anti-corruption authorities working together with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Criminal Investigations Directorate. Kananura was remanded to prison until August 17, 2026.
According to investigators, the alleged offences took place between August 2024 and August 2026. During this period, Kananura is accused of using his position to collect between UGX 1.5 million and UGX 6 million from different applicants who were seeking government land titles.
The total amount allegedly collected from the applicants is estimated at nearly UGX 1 billion.
Investigators allege that Kananura presented the payments as an official requirement for people to obtain government land titles under the Land Management Institution Strengthening Grant. However, he allegedly knew that applicants were not required to make such payments.
The programme, implemented by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development through the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer Project, was intended to help beneficiaries obtain land titles at a lower cost.
The allegations came to light after several residents raised complaints during Minister of Local Government Balaam Barugahara’s “Expose the Corrupt” campaign in Ssembabule. Some residents reportedly told authorities that they had paid money to Kananura and other officials for land titles but had not received the promised documents.
The complaints triggered investigations aimed at establishing what happened to the money and whether other officials were involved in the alleged scheme.
Authorities say the investigations are still ongoing, with more officials expected to be arrested and charged if evidence connects them to the alleged corruption.
The case has also raised concerns about the abuse of public offices in land administration, especially where citizens seeking essential documents can become vulnerable to officials demanding unofficial payments.
Kananura will remain in prison until his next court appearance on August 17. The allegations against him are yet to be proved in court, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
