A Ugandan businessman is embroiled in a dispute with the UN over delayed payment of about sh500m in compensation after a UN vehicle knocked his taxi and it got written off. Collins Ansasira of Kinyungusi cell in Kabale municipality says the accident happened on March 17, 2012, at Nyabugando–Rwentobi in Ntungamo district the Mbarara-Kabale highway.
He said one of the vehicles (UN 24239) belonging to MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo) knocked his taxi (UAN 703D) and the UN staff agreed to compensate him, but they have not done so to date.
Ansasira said a UN security officer, only identified as Bogere, on telephone number 0752999215, told him that MONUSCO would pay him after certifying his valuation report. When Saturday Vision tried to call Bogere’s number, the computer generated response from the telecom company said it was no longer registered on the network.
“I submitted my claim on April 4, 2012. But up to July 2012, I had got no response and I decided to send them a reminder,” he said.
UGANDANZ has seen e-mail correspondences between Ansasira and several UN workers, including Esther Kivuna and Esther Vital. n correspondences The correspondences show that UN was willing to pay Ansasira. However, they disagreed on the amount. On June 8, 2013, Ansasira received an e-mail from Vital, a MONUSCO employee attached to the claims section, who is based in Bunia DR Congo, saying MONUSCO was willing to pay him $5,749.40 (sh22m).
Ansasira said: “I rejected the offer because it was below my claim of $30,234 (sh115.4m). They have since kept quiet.”
According to an inspection and valuation report done on Ansasira’s taxi by Ntende and Associates, it was valued at sh30m before the accident and at sh3m after the accident. Ansasira asked for $12,000 to replace his vehicle, $5,000 in legal fees, $274 as valuation costs and $10,000 as compensation for psychological torture. He argued that his taxi was making sh100,000 or $40 daily and that this pushed the money to $30,234 as of June 2013. As of October 10 this year, Ansasira said the money had accumulated to $123,234 (sh471m).