Kirumira clashes with tenants
Mar 17, 2009
City tycoon Godfrey Kirumira is battling with his tenants over property that is trapped in Mirembe Arcade that collapsed on Friday.
By Jude Kafuuma
City tycoon Godfrey Kirumira is battling with his tenants over property that is trapped in Mirembe Arcade that collapsed on Friday.
Kirumira instructed casual labourers to ferry his merchandise from the basement stores, as other survivors waited for their turn to remove their property.
The property transferred from the debris included some of the tenants’ goods.
However, the survivors sprang into action after they saw some of their property being taken away in Kirumira’s cars.
Drama ensued on Saturday when Kirumira denied the tenants access to the remaining section of the arcade located on Nasser Road, Kampala.
When The New Vision contacted Kirumira, he said the site was sealed-off as Kampala City Council sorted out legal issues with Muzanganda Musisi, the owner of the construction site that led to the collapse.
“No one should take advantage of the tragedy to take other people’s property,†Kirumira said, adding that the tenants had to produce supporting documents of the property they had.
However, the third deputy premier and internal affairs minister, Kirunda Kivejinja, had earlier instructed Kirumira to return the confiscated property of the tenants, saying he should be sympathetic during such moments of trial.
Kivejinja also visited the scene on Saturday. “Because of these incidents, it is the time for the Government to take collective action to halt any other developments in Kampala until we get a better solution,†said Kivejinja.
By press time yesterday, the death toll had reached four.
The dead include Peter Lutakome, 43, Daniel Kakooza, 55, a computer designer only identified as Florence, who worked in Room 10 and resided in Lweza-Kajjansi and an unidentified female customer who was wearing a busuuti.
City tycoon Godfrey Kirumira is battling with his tenants over property that is trapped in Mirembe Arcade that collapsed on Friday.
Kirumira instructed casual labourers to ferry his merchandise from the basement stores, as other survivors waited for their turn to remove their property.
The property transferred from the debris included some of the tenants’ goods.
However, the survivors sprang into action after they saw some of their property being taken away in Kirumira’s cars.
Drama ensued on Saturday when Kirumira denied the tenants access to the remaining section of the arcade located on Nasser Road, Kampala.
When The New Vision contacted Kirumira, he said the site was sealed-off as Kampala City Council sorted out legal issues with Muzanganda Musisi, the owner of the construction site that led to the collapse.
“No one should take advantage of the tragedy to take other people’s property,†Kirumira said, adding that the tenants had to produce supporting documents of the property they had.
However, the third deputy premier and internal affairs minister, Kirunda Kivejinja, had earlier instructed Kirumira to return the confiscated property of the tenants, saying he should be sympathetic during such moments of trial.
Kivejinja also visited the scene on Saturday. “Because of these incidents, it is the time for the Government to take collective action to halt any other developments in Kampala until we get a better solution,†said Kivejinja.
By press time yesterday, the death toll had reached four.
The dead include Peter Lutakome, 43, Daniel Kakooza, 55, a computer designer only identified as Florence, who worked in Room 10 and resided in Lweza-Kajjansi and an unidentified female customer who was wearing a busuuti.