UGANDA, Entebbe | Real Muloodi News | Entebbe Municipality is grappling with a looming eviction crisis as over 500 families residing in Manyago Housing Estate, Manyago Village, Katabi Town Council, Wakiso District, face the risk of being displaced.
The families in Manyago Housing Estate express fear and uncertainty after discovering that the land they occupy has been leased out to a third party without their consent, sparking a legal battle fraught with complexities.
In a recent press conference led by their legal representatives from GEM Advocates, including Stanley Okecho, the affected families disclosed their predicament.
They revealed that they had previously petitioned the Court and reached a Consent Judgment stipulating that sitting tenants should be prioritised when Entebbe Municipal Council leases out the 15-acre land in question.
The agreement outlined a process wherein occupants had one month to apply for plots, followed by five months to pay premiums and other fees upon receiving lease offers.
Additionally, occupants were mandated to demolish existing structures within the stipulated timeframe.
Court of Appeal Judge Geoffrey Kiryabwire mediated the Consent Judgment, which also mandated Entebbe Municipality to approve building plans submitted by occupants.
However, despite these legal provisions, the families allege that the municipal council clandestinely granted another lease over the same land, contradicting the court’s directive.
Documents reveal that Entebbe Municipal Council, through its former Town Clerk Aisha Kitenda, initiated valuation procedures for the land in January 2023 as per the Consent Judgment.
However, a year later, with no progress reported, the Council reminded the Chief Government Valuer to expedite the process, citing concerns raised in the Auditor General’s Report and by the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee.
Nevertheless, to the families’ dismay, they discovered that the land, which lacked a valuation report, had been leased to Bugembe Kaggwa Ssegujja for 49 years, starting January 20, 2023.
Ssegujja reportedly acquired the lease for a meagre premium of 20 million shillings and an annual rent of 100,000 shillings. This lease transaction raises suspicions as it contradicts the Consent Judgment entered between the municipal council and the sitting tenants in 2020.
Town Clerk Emmanuel Mugisha Gakyaro clarified in a letter dated February 6, 2024, that there was no valid lease on the disputed land, adding to the confusion and frustration among the affected families.
Flavia Aliru, one of the tenants, expressed emotional distress over the looming eviction, emphasising the substantial investments made by tenants in renovating their homes.
Joyce Okiror, a retired civil servant residing on the land, questioned the legality of leasing the property to a third party, given the court’s directive to prioritise sitting tenants.
The tenants demand the annulment of the allegedly fraudulent lease and call upon government authorities to address their grievances promptly.
Responding to the accusations, Ssegujja Kaggwa maintained that he acquired the lease legally, adhering to all required procedures and fees.
He refuted claims of irregularities and affirmed that multiple individuals had obtained leases through the appropriate channels.
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