Proceedings before the Anti-Corruption Court in the criminal trial arising from the 2020 demolition of St. Peter’s Church of Uganda in Ndeeba were adjourned on Monday after the defence complained that the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) had failed to authenticate key documents central to its case.
The matter had been scheduled for the defence to begin presenting its evidence, with one of the accused, KCCA physical planner Ivan Katongole, taking the witness stand. However, the hearing failed to proceed after the court learned that several documents the defence intended to rely on had not been authenticated by KCCA.
Defence counsel Andrew Ssebugwawo told the court that the documents, including email correspondence exchanged by KCCA officials before and after the demolition, as well as an internal investigation report prepared by the authority following the incident, had been listed among the prosecution’s disclosed evidence.
“We had asked the state to give us these documents but they have just given us a reply today from the DPP saying that they don’t have original copies of the documents requested, despite the fact that they were listed in disclosure,” Ssebugwawo submitted.
He added that he had formally written to KCCA on July 7 requesting certified copies and authentication of the documents but had not received a written response. According to Ssebugwawo, KCCA officials only informed him verbally that the request had been forwarded to the Director of Legal Services for guidance.
Although the defence expressed willingness to continue with Katongole’s testimony on issues unrelated to the disputed documents, Chief Magistrate Peter Fred Lochomin declined the request.
The magistrate ruled that allowing the witness to testify in fragments would interrupt the orderly presentation of the defence case.
He adjourned the hearing to Tuesday, August 4, directing the defence to follow up with KCCA so the authority either authenticates the documents or formally responds to the earlier request.
The hearing had attracted a large turnout of parishioners, who packed the courtroom maintaining the strong public interest that has characterized previous sittings in the case. The case stems from the early morning demolition of St. Peter’s Church in Ndeeba on August 9, 2020. The church had stood on the disputed land for about 40 years before it was demolished following a long-running ownership dispute in Lubaga Division.
The dispute pitted the Church of Uganda against the estate of the late Buganda princess Evelyn Nachwa. In 2019, the High Court Land Division ruled that ownership of the land remained with Nachwa’s estate and found that its earlier registration in the names of church-linked individuals, including Bishop Danistan Nsubuga, had been fraudulent. The court ordered vacant possession in favour of the estate’s administrators.
Businessman Dodoviko Mwanje, through Ephraim Enterprises, subsequently acquired an interest in the land. Acting on court orders obtained thereafter, court bailiffs demolished the church. Before the demolition, KCCA issued guidelines directing that the exercise be conducted during off-peak hours and with appropriate safety measures.
The demolition sparked widespread public outrage. Several people, including Mwanje, Katongole and police officers, were later charged with offences including abuse of office, conspiracy and other counts arising from the demolition and the alleged removal of church property.
Separate civil proceedings have continued alongside the criminal trial. In April 2025, the Court of Appeal declared the demolition unlawful on procedural grounds, set aside the execution orders that had paved the way for the demolition, halted a proposed Shs3.8 billion compensation to Mwanje’s company, and ordered a fresh hearing of the ownership dispute before the High Court while maintaining the status quo on the disputed land-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
