Kajura family speaks out on sale of home

KAJURA          DEBT       COMPENSATION      MONEYLENDER

The family of the former first deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Service, Henry Kajura, has spoken out about his dispute with a businessman over his property in Hoima district.

Kajura's palatial home and ancestral property covering 50 acres is being claimed by one Abdu Ssali, a businessman, who says he bought it. However, in an interview with Sunday Vision on Friday, Kajura's wife, Regina, insists the family borrowed sh341m in installments from Ssali, for which they paid him over sh900m with interest.

Regina says the family was shocked that Ssali turned around to claim they sold the property to him and refused to hand over the land title for the property they gave him as collateral. "Why would anyone sell their ancestral home where we have buried many of our people? I could have sold another property elsewhere to raise that money," she said.

She acknowledges the family signed an agreement couched in legalese but says it did not matter to them since Ssali was a close family friend. "He used to come to our home (Nakasero) and even the first installment of sh100m that he lent to us was brought here," she explained.

Kajura reportedly borrowed the money to fund his campaigns ahead of the 2016 general elections. He is the National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairperson for Hoima district.

The former minister had reportedly expected to pay back the money after receiving compensation from the Government for his land which was affected by the construction of one of the oil roads.

Kajura, formerly the Bugahya County MP, dragged the Attorney General and a Chinese firm to court last year, seeking sh3.5b in compensation. Ssali's lawyers have rejected the assertion that their client is a moneylender.

They insist the two parties signed an agreement for sale of the property. Ssali also insists the two parties even signed the transfer forms. However, Regina says the family signed an agreement acknowledging receipt of up to sh500m as a loan, not one for sale and hand over of their property.

"If we sold the property to him, how come we have been paying him a lot of money. We challenge him (Ssali) to show us the original agreement," she stated.

Who is Abdul Ssali?
A source told Sunday Vision that Ssali owns a chain of shops, rental properties and deals in the importation of cars Ssali is said to be about 50 years. He was born in Gomba and currently resides in Kireka.

One close source said he used to work at the city abattoir before its management was taken over by the Kampala Capital City Authority. Another source said Ssali does not operate from a permanent office and many people who want to see him find him in the city centre, around Mapeera House.

The source said he is into money lending and often charges high interest. The source added that Ssali often asks his clients to sign agreements of the sale so that they can pay back the loans quickly.

"When he signs agreements, he keeps originals and asks for time to consult a lawyer. In most cases, he never returns," one person who has transacted business with him disclosed. "He does not direct people to deposit money on his account, but instead asks them to deposit it on a certain woman's account," the source added.