Behakanira, a man of debts
The departure of businessman Joseph Behakanira yesterday leaves lingering questions on his astuteness in business and his role in the CHOGM controversy over his hotel.
By Raymond Baguma and Edward Anyoli
The departure of businessman Joseph Behakanira yesterday leaves lingering questions on his astuteness in business and his role in the CHOGM controversy over his hotel.
He died of hypertension at the age of 53. He was the owner of J&M Airport Road Hotel at Bwebajja on Entebbe Road, which is subject to a parliamentary probe into the CHOGM expenditure.
He was advanced sh2.6b to complete his hotel in readiness for hosting CHOGM guests. However, the money was received three days before the summit. The hotel was not on the list of CHOGM venues and no guests stayed there. Moreover, the money the Government advanced was never turned into shares.
But the probe was only one of his woes. His property was threatened with attachment over failure to service a sh4.5b loan from Baroda Bank and another sh5b loan from Diamond Trust Bank. Also, in 2008, Barclays Bank hired receivers to recover a sh4.7b debt.
The two banks, Baroda and Diamond Trust, dragged him to the Commercial Court where he accepted to pay sh80m every month but never fulfilled his promise.
Behakanira was born on July 3, 1956. He attended Rwera Primary School before joining Bukinda Seminary in Kabale and Banakaloli Brothers Kiteredde in Masaka for O’level.
His knack for business saw him open a retail shop in Kakukuru trading centre in present-day Ntungamo district in 1977 which he operated solely for one year.
He then moved to Mbarara town where he set up a wholesale shop dealing in home appliances. With the outbreak of the war which ousted Idi Amin in 1979, Mbarara was destroyed and Behakanira moved his business from Mbarara town to Ntungamo.
In 1981, he joined the rebels of the National Resistance Army of Yoweri Museveni. He was part of the group of rebels who attended basic intelligence training in Libya.
He trained alongside prominent NRA personalities like current Police boss Kale Kayihura, Tom Butime and Amanya Mushega. Behakanira specialised in both military and civil intelligence. He served in various army units and battalions, both as an administrator and intelligence officer.
As victory neared for the NRA rebels, Behakanira was appointed Brigade intelligence officer in charge of the western axis, covering Mbarara, Kabale and Kabarole districts.
After the war, he was appointed a special district administrator for Mbarara. The position has since been renamed to resident district commissioner (RDC). He was also the district’s internal security officer.
In 1989, he was appointed as the first director of social services in the President’s Office under the Internal Security Organisation (ISO).
He voluntarily retired from the NRA and ISO in 1993 at the rank of captain in order to concentrate on business. In 1994, he rejoined business as a director of Betuco, a private company that was being operated by his wife since 1987.
He also set up Uganda’s first shopping centre, Avemar Shopping Centre on Luwum Street. He held the titles of proprietor, chairman and managing director of Avemar.
Other businesses he was in charge of together with his wife included Fair Lady Textile Shop, Jose Maria Baby Shop, Queen Mary Bridal Shop and Mystic Rose Home Appliances, all located in the Avemar complex. He was also the proprietor of a private security company called Snow White Security Guards.
In 2002, he began the project of the J&M Airport Road Hotel. It was to be a five-star hotel with apartments and a leisure centre. The project, however, proved catastrophic when it collapsed, killing 11 and injuring several builders in 2004.
The departure of businessman Joseph Behakanira yesterday leaves lingering questions on his astuteness in business and his role in the CHOGM controversy over his hotel.
He died of hypertension at the age of 53. He was the owner of J&M Airport Road Hotel at Bwebajja on Entebbe Road, which is subject to a parliamentary probe into the CHOGM expenditure.
He was advanced sh2.6b to complete his hotel in readiness for hosting CHOGM guests. However, the money was received three days before the summit. The hotel was not on the list of CHOGM venues and no guests stayed there. Moreover, the money the Government advanced was never turned into shares.
But the probe was only one of his woes. His property was threatened with attachment over failure to service a sh4.5b loan from Baroda Bank and another sh5b loan from Diamond Trust Bank. Also, in 2008, Barclays Bank hired receivers to recover a sh4.7b debt.
The two banks, Baroda and Diamond Trust, dragged him to the Commercial Court where he accepted to pay sh80m every month but never fulfilled his promise.
Behakanira was born on July 3, 1956. He attended Rwera Primary School before joining Bukinda Seminary in Kabale and Banakaloli Brothers Kiteredde in Masaka for O’level.
His knack for business saw him open a retail shop in Kakukuru trading centre in present-day Ntungamo district in 1977 which he operated solely for one year.
He then moved to Mbarara town where he set up a wholesale shop dealing in home appliances. With the outbreak of the war which ousted Idi Amin in 1979, Mbarara was destroyed and Behakanira moved his business from Mbarara town to Ntungamo.
In 1981, he joined the rebels of the National Resistance Army of Yoweri Museveni. He was part of the group of rebels who attended basic intelligence training in Libya.
He trained alongside prominent NRA personalities like current Police boss Kale Kayihura, Tom Butime and Amanya Mushega. Behakanira specialised in both military and civil intelligence. He served in various army units and battalions, both as an administrator and intelligence officer.
As victory neared for the NRA rebels, Behakanira was appointed Brigade intelligence officer in charge of the western axis, covering Mbarara, Kabale and Kabarole districts.
After the war, he was appointed a special district administrator for Mbarara. The position has since been renamed to resident district commissioner (RDC). He was also the district’s internal security officer.
In 1989, he was appointed as the first director of social services in the President’s Office under the Internal Security Organisation (ISO).
He voluntarily retired from the NRA and ISO in 1993 at the rank of captain in order to concentrate on business. In 1994, he rejoined business as a director of Betuco, a private company that was being operated by his wife since 1987.
He also set up Uganda’s first shopping centre, Avemar Shopping Centre on Luwum Street. He held the titles of proprietor, chairman and managing director of Avemar.
Other businesses he was in charge of together with his wife included Fair Lady Textile Shop, Jose Maria Baby Shop, Queen Mary Bridal Shop and Mystic Rose Home Appliances, all located in the Avemar complex. He was also the proprietor of a private security company called Snow White Security Guards.
In 2002, he began the project of the J&M Airport Road Hotel. It was to be a five-star hotel with apartments and a leisure centre. The project, however, proved catastrophic when it collapsed, killing 11 and injuring several builders in 2004.