Committee tasked to trace Asian properties now stuck

Members of a divestiture committee set up by the Departed Asian Property Custodian Board (DAPCB) to identify properties owned by Asians in Masaka District are stuck on what to do next.

According to Mr Herman Ssentongo, the committee chairperson, although one of their terms of reference is to identify all departed Asians properties in the district, they cannot fulfil this obligation because they do not know the actual location of the properties.

DAPCB is an agency charged with the responsibility to manage all assets left behind by over 50,000 Asians who were forced out of Uganda by the former President Idi Amin in 1972.

Mr Ssentongo, who is also Masaka Resident District Commissioner, said they have resolved to write to DAPCB to request to be availed with a list of all properties owned by departed Asians if they are to do a perfect job.
“We are aware there are several properties which belonged to departed Asians which range from buildings, tea estates, factories and pieces of land, among others, but we cannot identify them. So, we want them[DAPCB] to give us more guidance and lists of those properties,” he said during an interview on Monday .

The Masaka Municipality mayor, Mr Godfrey Kayemba, said although DAPCB promised to dispatch a team of valuers to make valuations of the properties, local leaders are not aware of which properties to be valued.

Transport
Masaka District chairperson Jude Mbabaali also the deputy chairperson of the District Divestiture Committee, said committee members need funds to facilitate their movements to places where the properties are.

Mr Mbabaali said his office already received information that some properties are under dispute with some private developers claiming ownership –something that has put them against the sitting tenants.
“The committee cannot settle such disputes and get clear information about them unless members travel to those places where they are,” he added.

The committee, which was initiated last month starts work at a time when municipal authorities are embroiled in a row with a Masaka based businessman Emmanuel Lwasa over ownership of Masaka Resource Centre building, one of the properties said to be owned by the departed Asians.

The disputed building located on Plot 9, Edward Avenue in Masaka Town, also houses Masaka Municipal Public Library, a crafts shop and some restaurants.

Early month, DAPCB secretary, Mr George William Bizibu revealed that the board is winding up its activities across the country, but must hand over to government a proper register of all properties.

A special audit conducted by Auditor General John Muwanga in 2009 revealed that some properties of DAPCB had been illegally disposed of under the influence of some ‘big shorts’ in government.

The AG discovered that out of the 8,965 Asian properties, 4,063 were repossessed, 1,676 were sold and 3,226 remained unsold.

BACKGROUND
The audit. A special audit conducted by Auditor General John Muwanga in 2009 revealed that some properties of DAPCB had been illegally disposed of under the influence of some ‘big shorts’ in government.
Discovery. By the time the audit was carried out, the AG discovered that out of the 8,965 Asian properties, 4,063 were repossessed, 1,676 were sold and 3,226 remained unsold.