More than 100 KCCA properties sold illegally

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A total of 103 properties belonging to Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA could have been mysteriously sold.

Key among the properties is M.162 Ntinda Industrial area, occupied by Imperial estates limited, Plot 6 Commercial Road Ntinda occupied by Nalis Byarugaba, Plot 11 Summit View Road occupied by Patrick and Carol and plot 44 Nabugabo Road occupied by Shree Sanatan Dharma Ltd among others.

The others include plot 10 Impala Avenue occupied by Tom Mugenga, plot 56 Ben Kiwanuka Street, occupied by Danata Investments Ltd and plot 85 Kampala Road Park Royale Ltd, and several others.

A report by the Internal Audit standing committee presented before the KCCA council yesterday indicated that the properties formerly leased out, now possess freehold ownership.

However, committee chairperson Kennedy Okello said that the ownership of properties from leasehold to freehold was irregularly done since there are no minutes from the Kampala District Land Board to the conversions.

According to the report, the land board had halted converting of leaseholds to freeholds effective August 1, 2015.

The council agreed that the standing committee works with KCCA attached police investigators to investigate the matter. The committee was also advised to work with the directorate of Revenue to ensure that the District Land Board gives a status report on all the properties named.

Kampala Lord Mayor Elias Lukwago says investigations would be conducted and responsible people brought to book.

KCCA acting Executive Director Eng. Andrew Kitaka says the conversion is a big blow to KCCA as it lowers its revenue source. He is in agreement with the process of conversion being investigated such that the matter is rectified.

According to a letter from the Acting Director for Revenue Collection Robert Nowere to the Clerk to the Internal Audit Standing Committee, the directorate has found it difficult to collect over 1.2 billion Shillings in ground-rent from the properties.

It is still not clear when the conversions were made. However, Kitaka says there was a time when the District Land Board was not in place which could have given leeway to certain officials to conduct dubious deals.

The committee report suggests that the lapses of the work of the land board were a result of the un-harmonized tenure of the members of the board. According to the report, the members were appointed at different times while one namely Farooq Ntege was appointed without recommendation as provided for by the law.

Kampala District Land Board is manned by six members, Yusuf Nsibambi as the chairperson and members Farooq Ntege, Naser Bassajja, Moses Kabega, Moses Kamoga and Vivian Kiggundu.

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