Basajjabalaba Secures City Square Land Title

HAJJI Hassan Basajjabalaba has already secured a land title for the Constitution Square (formerly City Square) whose planned re-development has sparked off some strong protests, reports Yunusu Abbey. Sources said a title deed in the names of Yudaya International Ltd., was issued recently. Kampala City Council (KCC) had granted the developer a 49-year lease before Bidandi Ssali, the local government minister, intervened in the deal. “Hajji (Basajjabalaba) is confident and determined to start the project because the land is already in his hands. So it’s now up to KCC to settle its differences with the minister (Bidandi),” a source said. “He has also already made part payment amounting to over sh300m as premium for the disputed land. He says he is ready to pay the balance as soon as the current dispute is resolved,” a source close to the 35-year-old city millionaire said. Some sources said Basajjabalaba had paid about sh1.3b to KCC as premium and other expenses. But there was no independent confirmation of this. When The New Vision contacted Basajjabalaba on Friday, he declined to comment. On Saturday, Dr. Hassib Takuba, the deputy mayor, and Patrick Kyamanywa, the acting city planner, confirmed that Basajjabalaba had made some part payment. “But I can’t recall the amount he paid off hand,” Takuba said. He said KCC would stick to its decision of awarding the contract to Basajjabalaba “because we feel everything was done transparently.” He criticised Bidandi ssali for what he called ‘interfering in the council affairs.” Ends