UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | A land-grabbing scandal has emerged, centring on a prime property located on Plot 42 Kampala Road in Uganda, known as Africa House, which Israel Mayengo, a former Minister in the Buganda Kingdom, lays claim stating that it was allocated to him by a directive from President Museveni.
The property in question was originally seized from Asian expatriates during President Idi Amin’s regime.
Documents reviewed by The Scribe indicate that the circumstances surrounding Mayengo’s acquisition of this valuable property are yet to be fully verified.
Mayengo currently serves as the director of MKM Corporation, following his role as a minister without portfolio in the Buganda Kingdom.
Firdoshali Madatali Keshwani Habib and Dolathanu Madatali Habib, the original owners of Africa House, contend that the property was confiscated from them in 1972 when then-President Idi Amin expelled Asians from Uganda.
“When the current government came into power, the Custodian Board took over the property but they never registered the title of Africa House. We came back to Uganda in 1990 and were ordered to follow the procedure of reclaiming our property from the Departed Asians’ Property Custodian Board,” Firdoshali explained.
According to her, they resorted to the courts in 1991 after experiencing unexplained delays in the process.
“The Court ruled in our favor, and the Custodian Board was ordered to return the property to us,” she disclosed.
In 1992, the then-Executive Secretary of the Departed Asians’ Property Custodian Board, Mr. Alex Joseph Apecu, confirmed that Africa House had been returned to its rightful owners, Firdoshali Madatali Keshwani Habib and Dolathanu Madatali Habib, who were the registered proprietors of the property.
Consequently, the Custodian Board was no longer the landlord, and the occupants were advised to negotiate new tenancy arrangements with the registered proprietor.
The original owners assert that they have never received any communication from the Finance Ministry regarding the Presidential Directive.
Mayengo claims granted him ownership of Africa House. Furthermore, they have consistently paid all taxes on the building to the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
“In 2020-2021, we were recognized by the Uganda Revenue Authority as some of the best taxpayers that year. Even when Parliament investigated properties under the Custodian Board, ours was never scrutinized because it is a private property,” they stated.
In 2021, Mayengo, operating under his company MKM Corporation, filed a lawsuit regarding the property dispute.
However, on March 3, 2023, Justice Musa Ssekaana of the High Court dismissed the case without imposing any costs.
The Africa House land dispute continues to unfold, raising concerns about the allocation of properties with historical significance, especially when they involve influential figures such as a Buganda Kingdom minister.
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