Pay Or Close Embassy, Queen Tells Uganda

BY Kezio Musoke QUEEN Elizabeth II of England has asked Uganda‘s mission in the United Kingdom (UK) to pay off debts totaling 300,000 pounds (about sh760m) owed to various firms by the mission or else close the High Commission. James Wapakhabulo, the Foreign Affairs Minister, told parliament yesterday “that the Queen raised her concern over the outstanding debts with the British government and Commonwealth officials after the firms raised the issue in the British Parliament.” He said Uganda’s envoys were summoned by the British authorities and told to pay up the accumulated debts within three months or close the High Commission until the payments are made. He did not say when the three months notice starts or expires. Wapakhabulo was summoned by the MPs on the presidential and foreign affairs committee chaired by Dr Nsaba Buturo (Bufumbira) to explain the circumstance under which Uganda’s High Commissioner to the UK, Prof. George Kirya, entered agreements of selling state-owned property on No.30 Ingram Avenue in Northwest London. He also bought a new location for the mission at No. 20 Totteridge in Northern London. Wapakhabulo also said it was because of pressure from the British government and several businessmen who reported the matter to the House of Commons that forced Kirya into selling one of the mission’s property in London. “These people from the British government and the commonwealth summoned our mission in London and told them that Uganda was not meeting its obligations. Her Majesty has also raised this concern,” Wapakhabulo said. “They suggested that envoys close the mission and return home or sell off the property to pay the debts and rationalise our presence. We are given a lot of services but we don’t pay. When we pay, we never clear all the bills. They have given us three months to pay up or close,” he added.” Wapakahabulo said Kirya had already received 10% of the money from the buyer of the property at No.30 Ingram Avenue and that he had also deposited 10% of the price for a new residential property situated at No. 20 Totteridge, which he said is close to the Queen’s residence. He said Kirya entered the agreements as a way of rationalising the Ugandan mission’s presence in the UK. The angry MPs said Kirya should be summoned to explain where he got the directive to sell state-owned property yet the commitment of the ministry was different. “There is a procedure of disposal of government property. Whatever you sell goes to the consolidated fund. It has been a precedent in the ministry not to sell off the property. How come Kirya defied this, who gives him the powers to run government business?” Aggrey Awori (Samia Bugwe) asked. Geoffrey Ekanya (Tororo) asked Wapakhabulo to clarify why President Yoweri Museveni was misinformed that the property was being sold because of debts yet he (Wapakhabulo) was telling the committee that the property was sold to buy a new and more prestigious place. Cecilia Ogwal (Lira Municipality), Dr. Steven Chebrot (Tingey), Salaam Musumba (Bugabula), Ekanya and Michael Ssebalu (Busiro East) also backed the idea of summoning Kirya to the committee to explain the anomalies. Wapakhabulo said the Government had suspended both the sale and purchase agreements of the London properties until the Auditor General gives an opinion. He agreed that the property had not been sold according to the right procedures and that he had written to Kirya not to proceed with the transactions. Permanent Secretary Ralph Ochan agreed with Wapakhabulo that Kirya did not follow the right procedures in selling the property. Wapakhabulo added, “I have sent a directive to extend the completion date of the terms of agreements, which is September 4, by two months while we discuss all these matters.” The MPs asked for a valuation report of the sold property. “We cannot rule out personal interests. We want the valuation report. Kirya has stayed in London for a long time. There could be personal interests,” said Louis Opange (Pallisa). The Sunday Vision last Sunday reported that Kirya had defied President Museveni’s directive suspending the sale of embassy property. The directive was reportedly issued in June after irregularities were found in the sale. Ends