Proline Academy land gifted by Museveni now hits big snag

Proline Soccer Academy is still unable to access a piece of land in Entebbe along the shores of Lake Victoria, which was gifted by President Museveni, even after the High court issued a directive five years ago.

Owned by Ugandan sports expert Mujib Kasule and former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand and his father, the academy now seeks the court’s intervention. They want the commissioner of Land Registration to enforce Justice Musa Ssekaana’s earlier orders.

Throughout the course of this legal battle, the parties have made several appearances in the High court. Proline’s objective is to get the commissioner of Land Registration to grant them access to this lakeside land. They contend that by failing to reinstate its title and extend the lease term from five to 49 years (as endorsed by the Uganda Land Commission), the commissioner has acted in contempt of court.

Director of Proline FC, Mujib Kasule, emphasized, “The judge previously highlighted the commissioner’s procedural mishap in the title cancellation for Proline. Yet, despite the order to reinstate and register the lease’s extension, the commissioner has yet to act.”

The intent behind acquiring the 30-acre plot was to establish a state-of-the-art football academy that meets international standards. Justice Musa Ssekaana, head of the Civil Division of the High court, issued the said directive on February 15, 2019. He underscored that this land was pledged to Proline by President Yoweri Museveni. This pledge dates back to 2007 during a meeting at State House, Nakasero between Museveni and the academy’s representatives, including Rio and his father Julian Ferdinand.

Ssekaana also noted the inconsistency of actions among technocrats, where they issue titles for the very land pledged by the president. He called this “a grave dishonesty.”

Furthermore, the judge commented on the disregard of Proline’s rights to a hearing, highlighting the absence of proper procedure and communication when the title was canceled in 2013. Questions have also been raised about a purported complaint from the Civil Aviation Authority, which the court suspects might have been an attempt to unlawfully obtain the land from Proline.

BACKGROUND

In 2008, the Uganda Land Commission granted a five-year lease to Proline Soccer Academy. The ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development followed suit by issuing a leasehold title certificate for the property. Later, as the lease neared its end, Proline sought an extension from five to 49 years in 2014, which the Uganda Land Commission approved.

However, the commissioner of Land Registration did not finalize this on the basis that Proline’s title was mistakenly issued over an existing one. This claim, stemming from an affidavit by the senior registrar of titles, Joseph Kibande, alleging a complaint from the Civil Aviation Authority, was later dismissed by the court. The case will continue on September 25, 2023.