UGANDA, Wakiso | Real Muloodi News | Seyani Brothers & Company (U) Ltd’s Managing Director has been called out for allegedly refusing to compensate John Mark Okise, who has been conducting public relations work and questionable practices for the company for an extended period.
The case escalated after Okise’s detention in Kampala two weeks ago. He was apprehended in Kampala and held in Entebbe for unknown reasons. This compelled his family members to speak up and demand justice.
“How can a person be arrested for demanding his pay? This is very unfair, and we demand the involved parties to allow the law to take its right course,” Okise’s family member charged.
The arrest followed a letter which Okise wrote to the Managing Director.
“You will recall that I have been offering your Business support services since 2017 and the latest doing whistleblowing on Uganda Electricity Transmission Company bid process reference UETCL/WORKS/2019 – 2020/00011. We agreed that if I succeeded in enabling the Seyani Brothers on the qualification list, you would pay me a percentage of the contract price. When I requested to know the price you bid for the purpose of invoicing based on the agreement we made, you are not creating time for me. Further, you said that you will avail me some facilitation when I whistleblow the whole process which issue I successfully did but instead you have decided not to pick my calls…” the letter reads in part.
Okise, who is asking more than USh60 million for his services, has presented his demands as follows; “The efforts I put in when we had issues with allegations on the works on the URA Towers, you paid me less than what we agreed. I demand USh25 million for the negotiation to drop the claims on damages at URA tower, prevailing over the MPs not to stop the contract for Parliamentary Parking – USh19 million as well as whistleblowing to cause investigations in the UETCL bid – USh17 million.”
Okise is also seeking compensation for the participants who worked tirelessly to defend the company’s reputation after rain destroyed the URA computers. He argues that he had a significant role in damaging ROKO Construction’s reputation as part of his public relations services but was not compensated for it.
Seyan Brothers Co (U) Ltd has recently been in trouble with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) after being ordered to repay USh2.1 billion in excess payments made to the construction business to re-modify Entebbe Airport. The passenger terminal will be extended, a new cargo centre will be built, and the airport’s two runways will be refurbished as part of the airport expansion project in 2015.
Seyani Brothers (U) Ltd was hired for the project’s landside extension, which aimed to provide new arrival and departure blocks. CAA contributed Shs42.6 billion to the project, overseen by Ssentoogo & Partners Limited for USh 1.1 billion.
The contractor, however, has already been overpaid about USh2.1 billion, according to members of the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprise.
The issue arose as the committee began looking at the reports of the technical audit assessment further into an extension of Entebbe International Airport.
According to the report, sample items of completed works matched with the certified amounts in interim payment certificates revealed an irregularity in cash payments to Seyani Brothers.
About Seyani Brothers
In acknowledgement of and gratitude for its significant contribution to Uganda’s social-economic development, Seyani Brothers and Company Uganda Limited won the 2015 Uganda Sustainable Development Award. The company was named one of the Top 50 Sustainable Development Agencies in Uganda.
The Seyani Brothers and Company Uganda Limited was founded by Parbat B. Sayani, who has served as the company’s Managing Director from its inception in 1991.
Born in Kenya but raised in the United Kingdom, Parbat began his construction career more than 30 years ago when he co-founded Seyani Brothers & Company Limited in Kenya in 1978. He remained as a senior shareholder and director until 2000.
Among the projects and activities in which he was a part were the Starehe Boys Kabete Campus, Unga Office Block, Stima Club, Jomo Kenyatta Library, Taveta/Danida Project, Kolobot Apartments, and Bishop Garden Offices.
Parbat established Seyani Brothers in Uganda in 1991 and has been involved in multiple projects, namely Paraa Safari Lodges, Kibuli Police Training School, Lincoln International School, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Kakira Sugar Works, among others.
He launched Parbat Siyani Construction Ltd in Kenya in 2001 and Seyani Brothers & Co. s.a.r.l in Rwanda in 2004 as part of the company’s expansion strategy. These affiliated companies have completed several high-value projects and are the premier construction firms in their jurisdictions.
Parbat and the other directors were instrumental in establishing Seyani Brothers & Co. (T) Ltd in Tanzania in 2007.
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