Nyagatare: Woman Discovers Her Land Was Sold unknownly

Mukayiranga Jacqueline, a resident of Tabagwe Sector in Nyagatare District, says her husband sold family land without informing her, leading to her eviction from the property. She explains that she only became aware of the issue after receiving a legal warning notice ordering her to vacate the land.

“I found a warning stamp placed on the land of my children. When I followed it up, I realized there was an order requiring me to leave the land,” she said.

Mukayiranga added that she later discovered her husband had sold two hectares of land. While she says she accepted the sale of those two hectares—since the family originally owned four—she is now appealing to authorities to protect the remaining land meant for her children.

“I accepted the two hectares he sold, but I am asking the authorities to help me so that the remaining land belonging to my children is not taken,” she pleaded.

ALSO READ: Huye: Residents Say Access Roads Left Them Landless Without Compensation

Husband Admits Selling the Land but Disputes the Size

The husband acknowledged that he sold the land without informing his wife, explaining that he sold it to his sister. However, he claims a dispute arose over the actual size of the land sold.

“I sold the land to my sister, but we later disagreed. She now claims that I sold her three hectares, yet I had only sold her one hectare,” he said.

He added that the conflict escalated after his sister insisted that the land sold amounted to three hectares instead of the agreed-upon size.

Local Authorities Promise to Investigate

The Acting Mayor of Nyagatare District, Kakooza Henry, stated that local authorities were not previously aware of the dispute but assured that the matter will be investigated and resolved.

“It is not possible for one spouse to sell joint property and complete the transfer process without the other spouse’s knowledge or consent,” he said. “We will follow up to understand how this happened and determine whether they are legally married, since official documents usually bear both names.”

According to reports, the land allegedly sold by the husband measures two hectares of banana plantation.