Kyadondo East legislator, Robert Kyagulanyi, has lost the land where his building is located in Kamwokya, Kampala after the title holders sold the contested land to a Gabonese investor, believed to be a brother to Gabon’s ruling President
Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, who built the single-storeyed Semakokiro Plaza on the land, is among the 393 residents who have for 16 years been facing eviction by M/s Pearl Hope Investments Limited, which has the title to the land.
With 13 plots carved out, the disputed land measuring about 26 acres, is situated on Block 213 Kyadondo and covers three zones of Kisenyi I, Mulimira and Old Kira Road. Ugandanz News has established that the buyer is called Ulrich Anass Bongo Ngoyi, a Gabonese-based businessman, who is said to be a brother to Gabon’s ruling President.
Land Agreement
According to sources, a sale agreement was signed between Pearl Hope Investments, the owner of the disputed land, and Ngoyi. The Gabonese businessman is represented by M/s EUSTERA INTERNATIONAL FZE, a firm based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Ugandanz News has established that the three family members; Jane Nanfuka, Katrina Nanfuka, and David Senfuka, who own Pearl Hope Investments, also have businesses they run in UAE.
“In consideration of $15m (sh55b), the vendor agrees to sell and the purchaser agrees to purchase the leasehold interest, which will be converted out of a Mailo interest (measuring about 26 acres of land for a period of 99 years’ renewable on agreed terms and conditions for another period of 99 years after the expiration of the initial lease,” a source quoted part of the sale agreement.
In the agreement, Ngoyi has reportedly agreed with Pearl Hope Investments to chop off 1.5 acres to cater for the water channel whose plan Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has already undertaken. KCCA will pay for the land.
“The vendor guarantees that the above-mentioned land is free from any encumbrances of whatever form and that it has a valid title over the said plot and in case the vendor’s title is contested in court of law, the vendor will indemnify the purchaser of the purchase price and all incidental expenses and costs thereof at the prevailing commercial rate,” the sale agreement adds.
Sources said the investor plans to build commercial houses on the land. When contacted, Senfuka confirmed that they had entered into a deal with Ngoyi to sell their land.
“He (Ngoyi) showed interest in the land and even made a commitment. But the transaction has not been finalized because there are squatters on the land. His lawyers said we need to first settle the issue of squatters, then we finalize the deal,” Senfuka said
Asked how they plan to handle the squatters, Senfuka said:
“We shall follow the advice of the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) boss, Col. (Rtd) Frank Bagyenda Kaka, and other government officials. We are going to give the squatters a fair compensation. We have already written to the lands ministry seeking the help of the government valuer to help us value each individual’s land. We did not want to use a private valuer because the residents could easily contest the figures.”
On Kyagulanyi, Senfuka insisted that they did not know him as their squatter, adding that they would evict him off the land as a trespasser. Asked where they were when Kyagulanyi acquired the land in 2012 and put up a building, Senfuka said they had written to him several letters but he ignored them.
Kyagulanyi reportedly bought the land from children of the late Gladys Nanyonga, who was a tenant on the land.
“But the land laws are clear; if a tenant wants to sell their kibanja, they have to inform the landlord first, which Nanyonga’s children did not do. Even after Kyagulanyi bought the land, he did not come to us as the landlords for recognition,” Senfuka said.
BackGround
In March, Pearl Hope Investments, through their lawyers Lubega and Company Advocates, notified Kyagulanyi and others about the planned eviction on the contested land.
This prompted the Kaka to summon the Pearl Hope Investments proprietors to explain a number of issues surrounding the disputed land, including why they had come out at this time to evict residents and not earlier.
Kaka said the eviction notice that Pearl Hope Investments gave to the residents posed a security concern, which prompted him to respond.
“I got information that people were threatening to burn the city and kill the landowners. They even claimed that this was a Government plan to squeeze Kyagulanyi because he had declared his intentions to stand for the presidency. That is rubbish. The Government is not behind this land matter. Our interest is to ensure that there is no breach of peace and security,” Kaka observed.
Waving copies of land titles, Senfuka explained that they bought the land in 2003 at $800,000 (about sh3b), and that part of it (21 acres) was purchased from Mpanga Walusimbi, and another five acres from Samuel Kasoma.
He added that they tried to evict the residents in 2004, but the then Kampala resident district commissioner, Dr. Stanley Kinyatta, intervened and proposed that residents be given an opportunity to pay for the plots.
“But only seven people paid and we gave them titles. Three other people agreed to be paid and they vacated the land. But the rest have failed to pay. As for Kyagulanyi, he is not our tenant. We do not know how he got the land and we, therefore, treat him as a trespasser,” Senfuka said.