By Sadique Bamwita
ENTEBBE
The Entebbe Municipality Mayor, His Worship Fabrice Brad Rulinda, has ordered businessman Segujja Kaggwa to back off council land on plot 2A along Kitumbu road that houses Manyago housing estates, the property of council.
The mayor sounded the warning on Monday, 19th February 2024 after Kaggwa claimed to have obtained a lease from Entebbe Municipal council on January 1, 2024, a date Mayor Fabrice says was a public holiday and that all public offices never worked that day.
“The person whom Council had leased the disputed land in Manyago zone was tycoon Abdul Razak that is from 2011 to 2014. After the expiry of his lease we decided to condemn the housing facilities because they are in deplorable state. I assure you since that time nothing has changed in our system and therefore, it’s wrong for one to begin claiming that he/she got a new lease from Entebbe municipal Council,” Mayor Fabrice Rulinda said.
He warned that he is determined to fight whoever intends to steal government land and saying he won’t sit back to watch selfish individuals stealing government land belonging to 500 tenants.
“In our records, there is no council minute, no minute from Wakiso district land board and lease minute permitting businessman Segujja Kaggwa to use or develop Manyago housing estate,” Rulinda said.
Rulinda argued that although Kaggwa claims to have been leased the disputed land on January 1, 2024, their payment records which are automatic show no payments made to council saying if Kaggwa is sure he got a lease from council let him drag council to court.
He revealed further that Kaggwa claims to have obtained the lease in 2011 using his national identification number saying this is untrue because at the time the national identity cards had not been issued.
“We have also learnt that Kaggwa is the very person who brokered the sale of three plots belonging to St. Theresa primary school to businesswoman Harriet Sanyu Muwonge. I petitioned Wakiso land board which eventually cancelled the titles allegedly in the names of the said businesswoman,” said the Mayor.
“Right now council has not leased anyone Manyago housing estate. The only people I can deal with are the sitting tenants but not Kaggwa who claims to have got freehold lease from council yet it’s not true. I advise Kaggwa to go to court and Lodge a legal suit against council if he feels cheated. But as council, we don’t know him as a lease holder. I appeal to all the sitting tenants in Manyago housing estate to be united in order to be able to defeat land grabbers threatening their tenancy,” he said.
” Apparently Manyago houses are in dire state but we are working tirelessly to bring the private partners on board to modernize the place with better housing facilities.
Mayor Fabrice Rulinda revealed that all houses in Manyago housing estate were condemned 10 years ago, and council no longer generates revenue from them.
“It’s very funny that someone comes out boldly and claims to have a lease from council yet there is already a court order refraining anyone from occupying the said land,” he said.
The area LC1 Chairperson for Manyago zone, Peter Galubale, said he doesn’t know businessman Segujja Kaggwa but got information that he (Kaggwa) held a meeting with none tenants claiming to have got a lease from Council to manage Manyago housing estate, something he says is untrue.
The Vice chairperson Manyago Tenants Association, Deus Bbale, says he was surprised to hear businessman Segujja claiming to have been leased Manyago land yet there is a matter before court in which the sitting tenants want court to consider them as sitting tenants when selling the land housing Manyago housing estate.
When contacted for a comment, businessman Kaggwa Muwonge, said the issues surrounding his lease acquisition are before his Lawyers.
