UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | A landlord-tenant dispute involving James Lubega, a property owner in Kampala’s Rubaga Division, has escalated into legal battles, police investigations, and allegations of fraud and property damage.
Lubega claims unpaid rent and damages related to his property on Kibuga Block 10, Plot 458, on Namirembe-Balintuma Road.
In September 2024, a video of Lubega went viral, showing him injured and accusing a security guard of assault during a confrontation over rent.
“They want to kill me because of my property. I came to demand my two years’ rent, but they unleashed a cruel security guard who severely beat me,” Lubega stated in the footage.
Lubega alleged that Gombe Medical Services (GMS), operating from the premises, had defaulted on rent payments.
However, officials from GMS denied the claims, citing an ongoing legal dispute. Documents reveal that Lubega entered a 10-year tenancy agreement on October 17, 2017, with Inter-City Health Access (ICHA).
The agreement required ICHA to pay USh12 million in monthly rent and advance payments totalling USh288 million, enabling Lubega to complete the property.
Payments were to be made in two instalments: USh100 million by October 31, 2017, and the remainder by December 31, 2017.
An official from ICHA, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the tenancy officially began in 2022, disputing Lubega’s timeline.
“He wants us to pay for the period we did not occupy the building, which is unacceptable,” the official said.
Additional records indicate that ICHA paid USh288 million in April 2022 to cover arrears from May 2020 to May 2022. However, Lubega claims ICHA defaulted on USh120 million in rent between May 2022 and March 2023.
Lubega alleges that GMS took over the premises without proper communication or approval, stating, “From nowhere, I saw GMS on my building. When I inquired, they said they had partnered with ICHA and would pay the rent, which I accepted.”
GMS, according to its website, began operations on September 1, 2022, as an extension of ICHA. Lubega, however, accused a director of GMS of attempting to coerce him into signing a lease agreement for the property, which he refused.
Lubega further accused ICHA and GMS of damaging his printing equipment. He claimed that on November 20, 2022, personnel from the entities broke into the basement with what he described as a “fake court order,” removing and exposing his machines to rain and sunlight.
A police report filed under case number CRB 2350/2022 at Old Kampala Police noted the alleged break-in and ongoing investigations. Lubega estimated the value of his damaged equipment at USh1.5 billion and claimed $10,000 in cash stored in the basement went missing.
ICHA obtained a temporary injunction from the High Court Land Division in November 2022, preventing Lubega from accessing the basement premises. Lubega denied receiving the injunction and accused the tenant of breaching the tenancy agreement.
“The tenant defrauded me,” Lubega alleged. “They destroyed my property without proper court orders.”
The landlord has petitioned the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) to intervene. In a December 2024 petition, Lubega accused a GMS director of masterminding the alleged fraud and requested government assistance to resolve the dispute.
Dr. Richard Kabanda, managing director of ICHA, declined to comment extensively, citing the ongoing court case.
“This matter is before the High Court. Let’s wait for what the court decides,” he said.
GMS officials also declined to comment on the rent default allegations, reiterating that the matter is under judicial review.
Lubega’s claims of significant financial losses and damage to his property remain under scrutiny, as legal and police inquiries seek to establish the facts. Meanwhile, the premises continue to house GMS, pending the resolution of the dispute.
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