Former VP Ssekandi wins round 1 in court versus Masaka mistress

Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Magistrates Court in Masaka has ruled that Laetitia Nakimbugwe, a mistress involved in a property dispute with former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi does not have rights over his fortune.

Nakimbugwe was dragged to court by Victoria Nawangi, an appointed administrator of Ssekandi’s properties. Nawangi challenged Nakimbugwe’s occupancy of a commercial building on plot 14 Edward Avenue, and how she derived powers to collect rent from tenants of the said building. Nawangi also accused Nakimbugwe of failing to pay rent to a tune of 3 million Shillings covering six months for the space she was occupying in the same building.

But Nakimbugwe stated that she has been cohabiting with Ssekandi for 25 years, during which they jointly acquired several properties whose earnings were primed to benefit their children, including financing their studies in the United Kingdom (UK).

Through her lawyer Jude Mbabaali, Nakimbugwe stated that the building on Plot 14 Edward Avenue has been under her management until recently when she was informed by ‘her tenants’  that they had been served with a notice informing them of changes in the management of the building. The notice dated December 30, 2021, was issued from M/S Ssekandi & Co. Advocates.

While Nakimbugwe stated that she is a co-owner of the same property, with the authority to manage and collect rent from other tenants, she failed to prove her alleged co-partnership. However, Nawangi presented before the court, documents proving powers of administration from Ssekandi, as the registered owner of the property.

Based on this, Masaka Grade One Magistrate Peter Mugisha Ahumuza ruled this afternoon that Nakimbugwe has no powers over that said property, and accordingly instructed her to pay rent like other tenants. The magistrates noted that there was no evidence to ascertain Nakimbugwe’s co-ownership of the property in question.

He added that the management of the commercial including, among other things, the collection of rent fees should be vested in the authority of Victoria Nawangi, as the right administrator of Ssekandi’s property and that Nakimbugwe should conduct herself as any other tenant, and meet her rent obligations for the rooms she is occupying in the same building.

Affected in this dispute are several other tenants who have occupied the property since 2016 while paying their rent to Nakimbugwe. “these tenants should equally pay their due arrears to the person who was granted the powers of administration,” he added.

Nakimbugwe and Ssekandi are also bickering over properties on plot 17 Alexander Drive in Masaka and plot 763 block 257 at Munyonyo, Kampala for which she had instituted a civil suit in the High Court Family Division in Kampala to challenge their ownership.

Despite their prayers of staying today’s ruling until the Family Court suit is disposed of, the trial magistrate did not grant their request, citing that the court needed to get rid of the application that has been pending for a while.

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