Railways land given to developers
Sep 22, 2011
OVER 10 companies and individuals who had acquired part of Nakawa estate land have been allocated the 57-acre Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) land in Nsambya, according to New Vision investigations.
By Chris Kiwawulo
OVER 10 companies and individuals who had acquired part of Nakawa estate land have been allocated the 57-acre Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) land in Nsambya, according to New Vision investigations.
Sources disclosed that the private developers were relocated to the railways land after Opecprime Properties Uganda Limited threatened to sue the Government for breach of contract.
Opecprime Properties is the company that won the deal to redevelop the estates.
“They (private developers and individuals) have been allocated to the Nsambya land, but the Government has not paid for it as it should have been. The Government relocated them because they had paid for the leases in Nakawa,†the source said.
The Nsambya land allocation means that the private developers will share the 57 acres among themselves depending on how much each firm or individual paid the Government for the Nakawa land.
Each acre of the Nsambya land is valued at sh1.2b; meaning that the 57 acres are worth sh68.4b.
The companies and individuals that had been allocated the Nakawa land include Islamic University in Uganda (10 acres), House of Dawda (10 acres), Abner Besigye, the former assistant town clerk of Nakawa division (0.87 acres) and Access Uganda (13 acres).
Others are Tropical Bank, the Libyan Cultural Centre, the National Library and Swacof Intertrade (each got two acres), Globeways (four acres), William Nkemba and the acting SC Villa treasurer (six acres).
Mr. and Mrs. Ponsiano Ngabirano got one acre, while CTM Uganda Limited owned by three brothers, Grey, Timothy and Gerald Katusabe got six acres. But it is not clear how they will share the land.
In October 2007, the Government signed a contract with Opecprime Properties Uganda Limited to solely redevelop the Nakawa-Naguru estates.
The dilapidated estates are to be redeveloped into an ultra-modern satellite town with 5,000 housing units at a cost of $300m (sh837b).
Opecprime Properties Uganda Limited is a subsidiary of the Comer Homes Group, a renowned UK-based real estate firm.
Opecprime Properties was supposed to start redeveloping the estate in January 2008, but the exercise dragged on because the tenants were demanding for compensation.
It was until early this year that the Government forcefully evicted the tenants and the estate was demolished to pave way for redevelopment.
According to the development plan, the satellite town was to be constructed within 10 years starting in January 2008; meaning it would have been complete by 2018.
But as the battle for the Nakawa-Naguru estate raged on with the Government urging the tenants to vacate in vain, part of the land was leased to over 10 other private companies and individuals besides Opecprime Properties.
The Nsambya land allocation comes at a time when Faridah Nantale has filed a suit in the High Court claiming that part of the land on Block 6 Plot 14 and Block 7 plots 16A-28A, belongs to her as the administrator of her late father’s estate.
She argues that her late father, Muhammed Gavamukulya Mukoloboza, was a Mutongole (chief) who was the custodian of the land estates of Buganda Kings Mwanga and Daudi Chwa.
The land she is claiming measures 11.4 hectares (28.2 acres).
According to documents seen by New Vision, Nantale contends that the estate comprised of who was the registered owner under the mailo tenure.
Block 7 lies between Nsambya Road and Kinawataka River, while Block 6 is located in Katwe. Nantale is seeking sh50b as compensation.
But URC lawyers Kateera and Kagumire Company Advocates contested her claims, arguing that the land was since June 1969 vested into the East African Railways Corporation and later, URC took it over as the successor on July 1, 1977 to date.
OVER 10 companies and individuals who had acquired part of Nakawa estate land have been allocated the 57-acre Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) land in Nsambya, according to New Vision investigations.
Sources disclosed that the private developers were relocated to the railways land after Opecprime Properties Uganda Limited threatened to sue the Government for breach of contract.
Opecprime Properties is the company that won the deal to redevelop the estates.
“They (private developers and individuals) have been allocated to the Nsambya land, but the Government has not paid for it as it should have been. The Government relocated them because they had paid for the leases in Nakawa,†the source said.
The Nsambya land allocation means that the private developers will share the 57 acres among themselves depending on how much each firm or individual paid the Government for the Nakawa land.
Each acre of the Nsambya land is valued at sh1.2b; meaning that the 57 acres are worth sh68.4b.
The companies and individuals that had been allocated the Nakawa land include Islamic University in Uganda (10 acres), House of Dawda (10 acres), Abner Besigye, the former assistant town clerk of Nakawa division (0.87 acres) and Access Uganda (13 acres).
Others are Tropical Bank, the Libyan Cultural Centre, the National Library and Swacof Intertrade (each got two acres), Globeways (four acres), William Nkemba and the acting SC Villa treasurer (six acres).
Mr. and Mrs. Ponsiano Ngabirano got one acre, while CTM Uganda Limited owned by three brothers, Grey, Timothy and Gerald Katusabe got six acres. But it is not clear how they will share the land.
In October 2007, the Government signed a contract with Opecprime Properties Uganda Limited to solely redevelop the Nakawa-Naguru estates.
The dilapidated estates are to be redeveloped into an ultra-modern satellite town with 5,000 housing units at a cost of $300m (sh837b).
Opecprime Properties Uganda Limited is a subsidiary of the Comer Homes Group, a renowned UK-based real estate firm.
Opecprime Properties was supposed to start redeveloping the estate in January 2008, but the exercise dragged on because the tenants were demanding for compensation.
It was until early this year that the Government forcefully evicted the tenants and the estate was demolished to pave way for redevelopment.
According to the development plan, the satellite town was to be constructed within 10 years starting in January 2008; meaning it would have been complete by 2018.
But as the battle for the Nakawa-Naguru estate raged on with the Government urging the tenants to vacate in vain, part of the land was leased to over 10 other private companies and individuals besides Opecprime Properties.
The Nsambya land allocation comes at a time when Faridah Nantale has filed a suit in the High Court claiming that part of the land on Block 6 Plot 14 and Block 7 plots 16A-28A, belongs to her as the administrator of her late father’s estate.
She argues that her late father, Muhammed Gavamukulya Mukoloboza, was a Mutongole (chief) who was the custodian of the land estates of Buganda Kings Mwanga and Daudi Chwa.
The land she is claiming measures 11.4 hectares (28.2 acres).
According to documents seen by New Vision, Nantale contends that the estate comprised of who was the registered owner under the mailo tenure.
Block 7 lies between Nsambya Road and Kinawataka River, while Block 6 is located in Katwe. Nantale is seeking sh50b as compensation.
But URC lawyers Kateera and Kagumire Company Advocates contested her claims, arguing that the land was since June 1969 vested into the East African Railways Corporation and later, URC took it over as the successor on July 1, 1977 to date.