Open letter to Rao, the MD of Dott Services

Dear Mr Boinapally Venugopal Rao, I am writing you this open letter to draw your attention to an incident that took place in Kiburara (Kasese District).

It involved an employee of Dott Services Limited, a company on top of whose management structure you sit as the chief executive officer. The name of the employee is Mr Jamada Bukenya, a truck driver.

The particulars of the incident are as follows:

Dott Services mines sand from River Nyamugasana, in Kiburara. The road to the sand mine passes through my property. Dott Services heavy trucks are degrading my land (and the fragile co-system of River Nyamugasana).

On Monday September 19, 2022, Mr Bukenya (driving a Sinotruck (UBH 033Y) attacked me on my private property in Kiburara. Bukenya’s truck got stuck on my land and was degrading it. As I filmed his truck, he threatened to beat me. Many members of the community collected to bear witness.

We reported the matter to the LCI leadership. But your employee was disrespectful to them.
When Dott Services Management learnt of the incident, a Mr Moris Baluku called me on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. He told me Dott Services management wanted to meet me. We met on Wednesday October 12, 2022 at Movic Hotel in Bwera.

I met Mr Baluku and Mr Sai (who was introduced as a site manager). Mr Sai had no business card; neither did he provide a second name. But since proper identification requires provision of two names, I can only say that the Airtel cell phone number Mr Sai was using is registered in the name of Abubakar Khaled.

After the short salutations, Mr Sai dived into the subject matter with an uncorporate directness: how much do you want for compensation? I was a bit surprised by this directness. I suggested some acts of corporate social responsibility to the Kiburara community. “Can Dott Services build a public toilet in Kiburara and grade the road to the sand mines?” I responded.

“I want to know your personal compensation. How much you want?” Mr Sai asked. Now I realised I was not dealing with a corporate manager. Well, I demanded two things (if only to spite Mr Sai’s lack of tact). I demanded that Mr Bukenya be fired and that Dott Services pay me $10,000.

Although Mr Sai looked shocked by the $10,000 figure I dropped, he said “it’s okay. But I will get back to you after engaging my boss. I will give you feedback in 24 hours” he said. Meeting ended.

On Thursday, October 20, 2022, I called Mr Baluku to ask about the feedback that was supposed to reach me in 24 hours. He told me the boss had refused to compensate me because he had already done what I wanted: firing Mr Bukenya.

Mr Rao, the purpose of this letter is to ask you to guide your employees to have good relationship with the communities in which your company runs contracts. If you asked around, you would learn that I am familiar with what is taking place in eastern DR Congo. I am familiar with what your employees are doing in Beni and the challenges they may face (with such corporate attitude).

Dear Sir, it is in your best corporate interests (and definitely mine too) to pay the $10,000 as compensation for the embarrassing humiliation that your employee visited on me in my home and among my people. Fire Mr Bukenya; it is good for your business. 

I wish you all the best in your endeavours as CEO of Dott Services Ltd.

Mr Asuman Bisiika is the executive editor of the East African Flagpost. [email protected]