Our reporter visited the said land and found a billboard indicating that it was being developed by Universal Multipurpose Enterprises (U) Ltd. URN understands that around early 2018, Professor Eria Hisali, the Principal College of Business and Management Sciences led a team to investigate the land matter but his report hasn’t been made public.
A group of Makerere
university staff have petitioned President Yoweri Museveni over the alleged
fraudulent sale of University Land valued at over USD 7million (approximately UGX
25.7billion) in Kololo.
This is contained in an 83-page document authored by concerned Makerere
University academic and administrative staff titled “Systemic & Systematic
Corruption, Lawlessness & Impunity at Makerere University” was authored by
the staff in August this year.”
According to the document, Makerere University
owned 3.97 acres of land on plot 34, 36 and 40 on Prince Charles Drive in
Kololo amongst other land in Kololo, an upscale residential and commercial
neighborhood and one of the original seven hills that formed Kampala city.
The land in question is registered under
reference number LRV4055 Folio 15. According to the concerned staff, the land extended
to Kololo hill lane and had pillars with the officials Makerere University
colors (Red/Black/Green) at the four corners.
However, the concerned staff, say the land was partitioned
into three plots/titles and sold by the “mafia” around 2017. They also
say that although three pillars were removed, one is still in place even though
the colors have faded. They say the land on the upper side (Kololo Hill lane)
is currently being developed.
Our reporter visited the said land and found a
billboard indicating that it was being developed by Universal Multipurpose
Enterprises (U) Ltd. URN understands that around early 2018, Professor
Eria Hisali, the Principal College of Business and Management Sciences led a
team to investigate the land matter but his report hasn’t been made public.
The petitioners say in addition to hiding the report, it has never
discussed by the University Council. The document alleges that ENSAfrica Advocates
brokered the land transaction.
The petitioner accuse Thomas Tayebwa, the Ruhinda North Member
of Parliament, Bruce Balaba Kabaasa, the chairperson of the Committee of
Finance, Planning and Investment of the governing council, Eng. Dr. Wana Etyem,
the former Makerere University Council chairperson and Vice Chancellor, Prof.
Barnabas Nawangwe of sharing the money from the fraudulent land sale.
They
also indicate that some well-wishers of Makerere
University have been trying to follow up how this land changed hands in Kampala
Capital City Authority (KCCA). The petitioners claim that in their attempts to
follow up on the status of the land, they were told by the people in the KCCA
Land Registry that they were under instructions not give out any information
regarding the ownership of the land at Prince Charles Drive, Plots 34, 36 &
40.
“In addition, at the junction between Prince
Charles Drive and York Avenue (Kololo), a piece of land was lost by the
University under unclear circumstances. A two-story private residential house
was constructed there. The irregular loss of this land should be followed up
and the mafia brought to book,” the document reads in part.
Phillip Karugaba, the head of ENSAfrica couldn’t be reached
for comment to establish their alleged involvement in the land sale as his
known numbers were not readily available.
Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, the Makerere Vice Chancellor
told URN that there is a group of people in Makerere trying to fight his
administration, adding that they are writing many things ignorantly without
facts.
“I can understand the frustration of those
trying to fight me. Because they are failing everywhere. I can understand their
frustration. So they will cling on anything. I am not a signatory to any papers
regarding Makerere university land. I have not signed anywhere on those
papers,” Professor Nawangwe said.
He
explained that it was during the reign of Professor
Venansius Baryamureeba as vice chancellor that the university established the
fraudulent takeover of the university land.
//Cue in: “The issue of the…
Cue out: …before I was a Vice Chancellor.”//
According to Nawangwe, his office is aware of
the fraudulent give away of the Kololo land on a 49 year lease. He argues that
the only problem that he saw with the land deal was giving almost all powers to
the person they initially leased it to do anything on it including subleasing
it to other parties.
//Cue in: “The lease gave powers…
Cue out: …even before I became DVC F&A”//
Background
URN gathers that the three-acre land located on plots 34A and
36A on Prince Charles Drive which, Makerere University has owned since 1962 was
first leased to Janice Amayo and later transferred to Nassour Rahez by the
Lands Ministry.
The said transaction took place on December 24
in 2009, just a day after the university closed for Christmas holidays. Nassour
Ramez allegedly bought the land from one Janice Amayo at US$3.5 million (Shs8B)
to erect a five-star hotel.