He has spent decades mastering the art of drama on stage, but celebrated playwright and actor Andrew Benon Kibuuka, is now facing real-life drama after being dragged to the High Court over a messy land war in Kasanje, Wakiso District involving two women.
What began as a quiet land transaction has now turned into a public scandal, leaving the veteran actor’s reputation hanging in the balance as legal vultures circle.
The scandal revolves around a prime piece of land in Kasanje, where Kibuuka is the registered owner. According to revealed court details, the “theatre of the absurd” began when a woman named Sarah Kagonyera reportedly sold the land to Sheila Shemererwa.
However, things turned dark when vacant possession was never granted. In a move that has left legal observers stunned, Kibuuka, as the title holder, reportedly allowed the same land title to be used as security after the initial deal had already turned sour. This “double-play” effectively trapped the buyer’s money in a legal labyrinth, triggering a chain of lawsuits that have now come home to roost.
Frustrated by what appeared to be a disappearing act with her money, Shemererwa hauled both Kagonyera and the legendary actor to the Mengo Chief Magistrate’s Court.
The drama reached a fever pitch when Kagonyera and her legal team failed to show up for the hearing, offering no explanation for their absence. Taking no excuses, the Magistrate slapped the defendants with an ex-parte judgment, ordering a refund of Shs 23 million plus interest and staggering legal costs.
In a desperate last-ditch effort to save face, Kagonyera petitioned the High Court to overturn the ruling, claiming the land agreements were “extinguished.” However, Justice Isaac Teko was having none of it.
In a scathing ruling, Justice Teko dismissed the application with contempt, noting that Kagonyera was “estopped” from playing the victim after she had already filed a defense and then vanished from the proceedings.
“The applicant is estopped from denying service,” the Judge ruled, effectively sealing the Shs 23 million debt and leaving the parties with a massive financial hole to climb out of.
While Justice Teko noted that Andrew Benon Kibuuka was not technically part of this specific appeal, the judge sent a clear warning: the actor remains deeply “entangled” in the saga. Kibuuka now faces the daunting prospect of filing his own lawsuits just to salvage his land title from the wreckage of this failed deal.
