City abattoir case starts
Dec 01, 2011
HEARING of the case in which city businessman Dan Katarihwa sued meat traders of City Abattoir has begun at the Commercial Court in Kampala.
By Brian Mayanja
HEARING of the case in which city businessman Dan Kwatampora Katarihwa sued meat traders of City Abattoir begins today (Thursday) at the Commercial Court in Kampala.
Katarihwa wants traders to vacate the premises, arguing that the traders are illegally managing the abattoir. Hearing kicked off before Festo Nsanga, the Assistant Registrar at the Commercial Court at 2.30pm.
Katarihwa who claims to be the owner of the abattoir, states that he sub-leased the property from businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba in 2008.
In 2001, the then Kampala City Council (KCC) leased the piece of land together with the buildings to Basajjabalaba for 49 years at sh600m. However, meat traders under the City Abattoir Traders Development Association (CATDA) accuse Basajjabalaba of subleasing the premises to Katarihwa without their consent.
In October, Court ordered the 17 meat traders to restrain from interfering with the physical property situated at plots 1 and 3 Old Port Bell Road following an application filed by Katarihwa.
The traders did not quit the premises which prompted Katarihwa to ask court to issue a warrant of arrest for the 17 leaders of the traders on grounds that they were trespassing on his abattoir and managing it illegally.
Katarihwa also accused the meat traders of breaking the padlocks, locking the administrative offices and throwing out all the files for his company businesses. He added that the traders had evicted his management team and were illegally supervising his property.
“My business is now being enjoyed out by the defendants without legal authority, without observing laws in respect of public health and veterinary services,” he said.
However, the traders’ lawyers Chrisestom Katumba and Abdullah Kiwanuka filed an affidavit challenging the move. Katumba argued that the status-quo should be maintained, until court makes a ruling.
Katumba argued that the interim order was not serving any purpose, since by the time it was issued the traders were managing the abattoir.
Last week, the Commercial Court rejected another attempt by Katarihwa to block meat traders from managing the abattoir. Through his lawyer GeoffreyNalugonye, Katarihwa had asked court for an interim order, stopping the traders from collecting dues, pending the outcome of the case.