Govt officials named in dubious acquisition of ex-Asians property

The Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) chaired by Kawempe South MP Mubarak Munyagwa has appointed a taskforce to investigate circumstances under which two ministers, a diplomat, a permanent secretary and a host of local tycoons acquired or disposed of huge properties of the departed Asians which had been bought by government after compensation to the owners.

Officials of the Departed Asians Property Custodian Board (DAPCB) yesterday told Cosase that they had information pinning top government officials and influential private individuals in illegal repossession of properties vacated by the Asians who had already been compensated by the government.

Asians were chased from Uganda in a mass expulsion by then president Idi Amin in 1972 and their properties were repossessed by the government.

Committee members Ibrahim Kasozi (Makindye East), Capt Donazio Kahonda (Ruhinda County) and Gideon Onyango (Samia Bugwe North) raised the matter of questionable acquisition of the properties citing different documents which showed distribution of the properties among the top government officials.

The Cosase investigations are based on a dossier that shows that the ownership of the properties which include buildings in prime areas belonged to government after repossession from the original Asian owners who were compensated.

The document which Daily Monitor has seen shows that the property ownership changed to the government officials and tycoons under unclear circumstances. The government is currently renting some of its former properties which include the offices for Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and some MPs.

Mr Kasozi said: “When you look at this document, you find one Indian has above 100 properties but when you go to the Bank of Uganda Archives, you find that most of these properties were paid for by the government. We need to invite these people to tell us how they got these documents.”
“The current Attorney General needs to be invited to explain how almost 215 properties were repossessed,” he added.

On the other hand, MP Onyango said one of the buildings Parliament is renting as offices of MPs was compensated for by government but someone acquired it and earns monthly rent from it.

The documents in possession of Cosase name Uganda’s Deputy Ambassador to Italy, Ms Mamtaz Kassam and the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Gender, Mr Pius Bigirimana among the owners of the properties. The Cosase wants Attorney General William Byaruhanga to explain how these properties were transferred from government possession to private individuals.

Mr Kasozi said the Lands minister, Ms Betty Amongi, on April 25 last year, convinced the Custodian Board meeting chaired by Finance Minister Matia Kasaija to sell plots 26-28 on Lugogo Bypass. It is not clear to whom the property was sold. The committee wants the minister to explain the sale.

Ms Amongi denied participating in the board meeting where a resolution was taken to sell the said property. She accused the MPs who named her of being “ignorant of the law”.

“That is ignorance of the law for people to begin moving around with documents mentioning things they don’t understand. The board has never sold any property in Lugogo. If you want the truth, get records of the minutes from the executive secretary of the Board,” Ms Amongi said.

Some of the properties include Plot 7 on Dewinton Road which belongs to Ms Kassam. Documents show government compensated the Asian owners.

The documents also shows she owns Plots 2A and 2B in Rubaga Division and acquired powers of attorney from a departed Asian now a citizen of Canada.
Plot 6 on Princess Road which documents show it belongs to Mr Bigirimana who acquired it on November 15, 2011. The property was first registered in 1964 in the names of Hassanali Jafferali and Amirali Jafferali Jaffer and has since changed ownership four times.

When contacted, Mr Bigirimana admitted he is the owner of the property but did not entertain questions on its status before he acquired it.

Plot 3 on Market Street. The property is registered under Roofings Limited, a steel company that manufactures iron building materials in Uganda. It is indicated the company obtained a lease from Kampala District Land Board for 49 years beginning 2011. The dossier blames government for negligence resulting in financial loss.

Plots 43-47/52 on Nakivuvo Road. The property has been at the centre of controversy between city tycoons Mansur Young and Drake Lubega and the deceased rally driver Charles Muhangi.