Custodian Board decries fraud in departed Asians’ property compensation

KAMPALA - Parliament’s Committee on Lands has tasked the Departed Asians’ Property Custodian Board (DAPCB) to provide a comprehensive account of Uganda’s departed Asians’ properties amid fresh concerns of fraud, double payments, and illegal sales.

The committee, chaired by Buyamba County MP Gyaviira Ssemwanga, on September 16 , 2025, grilled George William Bizibu, the executive secretary of the DAPCB, over irregularities and loopholes in the management and compensation of thousands of properties left behind when Asians were expelled from Uganda in the 1970s.

Ssemwanga demanded that the Board submit, within two weeks, a detailed inventory of all property transactions and disputes.

“We want a list of all properties that were unclaimed and their leases. A full record of repossessed properties, court cases involving compensation, expired leases, encumbered properties, temporarily allocated estates, and all redeemed titles. We also want a report on legal sales. This committee must have all the information to understand where Uganda is losing money,” Ssemwanga said.

MPs raise alarm over fraud

The meeting exposed widespread inconsistencies. Juliet Kinyamatama, the Rakai district Woman MP, cited the case of a property in Kololo where about three different individuals had each paid for the same asset, sparking competing claims.

“Some of these victims are preparing to petition the Speaker of Parliament. What we also demand is clarity on the criteria used to compensate those who have already benefited,” Kinyamatama said.

Bizibu admitted that confusion persists in the management of repossessed estates. “We have cases where people come to claim property only to discover it has already been repossessed or compensated. Some titles were grabbed, others were mishandled by district land boards, and some were encumbered by former mailo owners who re-entered illegally,” Bizibu told the committee.

Mawokota South MP Yusuf Nsibambi pressed the Board to disclose the total cost of compensation since the process began. “There seems to be evidence of double payments, masqueraders, and the absence of a verifiable list of compensated claimants. This lack of transparency is costing the country billions,” Nsibambi said.

Katerera Constituency MP Muhammed Kato echoed the call for an inventory of all disputed cases, stressing that the government’s financial losses are mounting with every irregular payment.

Gazette notice issued

In an effort to streamline the process, the Custodian Board issued a Gazette Notice (Volume CXVIII, General Notice No. 378 of 7 February 2025), inviting any remaining claims worldwide.

Bizibu explained that under the law, unsold properties can be re-offered repeatedly until they are properly disposed of. But he stressed that encumbrances, litigations, and interference by local authorities continue to stall progress.

Statistics and scope of properties

According to the Board, a total of 8,909 properties fall within its mandate. These include assets repossessed, sold, or still pending verification.

Of these, 951 belonged to Asians with Ugandan citizenship in 1971. A further 613 properties were company-owned; 49 belonged to trusts; and 273 properties had no clear citizenship indicated.

By nationality, the records list 714 non-Ugandans, 337 British, 27 Indians, 60 Kenyans, 15 Canadians, 3 Tanzanians, and single cases from Australia and Spain.

During verification, 2,438 properties were repossessed with certificates; 1,623 were repossessed by letter; 1,547 were disposed of by government; and 2,445 remain gazetted for sale under statutory instruments after former owners failed to reclaim them.

Properties redeemed from financial institutions total 79, with 20 repossessed, 46 not repossessed, and 13 disposed of. Many of these, Bizibu noted, were re-entered illegally by former lessors or mailo owners.

The government has also compensated some former proprietors through intergovernmental arrangements with Britain, Canada, and other countries where expelled Asians resettled. Records from the Bank of Uganda confirm payouts through the British High Commission and the UNHCR.

Ongoing challenges

Despite decades of effort, Bizibu said the Board still faces hurdles that have left the compensation process incomplete.

These include encumbrances and contested ownership, mounting litigation, interference by local authorities, a weak revenue base, inadequate staffing, and errors in past transactions that now require correction.

MPs warned that unless government addresses fraud and mismanagement at the DAPCB, Uganda risks losing more taxpayer money.

The Lands Committee is expected to receive the full inventory of properties, claimants, and compensation costs in two weeks.

Background to the Custodian Board

The DAPCB was established under the Assets of Departed Asians Act (CAP 83) of 1973 to manage properties left behind after the 1972 expulsion. In 1983, the Expropriated Properties Act (CAP 87) provided a framework for repossession or disposal, placing the Board under the Ministry of Finance.

Since then, the Board has struggled with valuation, litigation, fraudulent claims, and weak staffing.