Metal fabricator drags Ben Kavuya to land probe
Session. Left- Right, Mr Ben Kavuya with his lawyers Mr Peter Nkurunziza and Mr James Oriam before the Land Commission on March 14. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA
What you need to know:
- Allegation. Mr Kavuya is accused of forging the late Fenekantine Benjamin Kityo’s signature and transferred the land on Block 216 Plot 221 into his names.
Kampala. A metal fabricator in Kulambiro, Nakawa Division, has petitioned the land commission accusing a city money lender, Mr Ben Kavuya of fraudulently acquiring and transferring his late father’s two acres of land in the same area into his names.
Mr Nelson Ddumba, a resident of Kigowa zone II, Bukoto Parish in Nakawa, told the commission investigating land matters that Mr Kavuya forged the late Fenekantine Benjamin Kityo’s signture and transferred the land on Block 216 Plot 221 into his names.
“My Lord, Mr Kavuya claims my father sold this land 13 years after his death. My father died in 1990. My lord, ghosts cannot make a sale,” Mr Ddumba told the land probe.
According to him, Mr Kavuya acquired his father’s title by way of a mortgage to Hajj Zedi Kezimbira who was a tailor in Kiyembe. The land was later transferred into the name of David Semambo before it was transferred to Frederick Senyonga. Mr Senyonga later transferred the land to Global Capital Save 2004 which is owned by Mr Kavuya, his wife Barbara and son Brian Kavuya.
“My Lord the land was then transferred from Global Capital Save 2004 into the name of Mr Kavuya, who then subdivided the land into eight plots,” Mr Ddumba testified.
Mr Ddumba, a heir to Mr Kityo, explained that he sold part of the land to Mr Kazibwe at Shs12m who built a bungalow and a flat.
“...when the houses reached roofing stage Mr Kavuya came with four UPDF soldiers, ten policemen, a group of private guards from Askar Security and a group of guys who hit the houses below their window level and the houses caved in,” he said.
Mr Ddumba accused Mr Kavuya of using his influence and connections to frustrate the late Kityo’s family to reposess their land.
Arrest
He said Mr Kavuya had him arrested several times and charged with trespass. He said the family had on several occasions tried to put a caveat on the land but Mr Kavuya had used his connections to block the caveat.
According to Mr Ddumba, Mr Kavuya first offered him Shs10m for the land, later Shs50m, Shs80m and later Shs300m.
Mr Ddumba requested the land probe to cancel all the subdivisions on the land and direct Ministry of Lands to put a caveat he failed to have on the land. Mr Kavuya has denied the allegations.
