Businessman Kirenga remanded over fraud in  Madhvani Group  Land Saga

Kampala-based businessman has been remanded to Luzira Prison over his alleged involvement in a high-profile land fraud scheme that has rocked government land offices and drawn in senior officials.

Kirenga Fred, a businessman from Naguru, appeared before the Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday on charges of fraudulently procuring a land title for property in Gomba District.

He is accused of illegally registering a freehold Certificate of Title for land that was already titled under the Madhvani Group Ltd. He has been remanded until July 8, 2025.

According to the prosecution, the fraudulent transaction took place on June 15, 2020, when Kirenga and several accomplices allegedly facilitated the issuance of a new title for Block 311, Plot 36 and 37 despite full knowledge that the land had already been titled under FRV 60 Folio 4.

Kirenga now joins a growing list of accused in the multi-layered land title scandal, including Kakooza Jasper, the Acting Commissioner of Surveys and Mapping; Mugenyi Vicent, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Gomba District; and nine others. All face charges relating to the alleged illegal creation and issuance of land titles.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), working in conjunction with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, led the investigations that culminated in Kirenga’s arraignment.

The land in question belongs to the Madhvani Group Ltd, one of Uganda’s largest private sector investors, and the fraudulent dealings have raised fresh concerns about title security, institutional collusion, and corruption in Uganda’s land management systems.