Landlord Haruna Sentongo cancels tenants' six months rent arrears

A Kampala landlord Haruna Sentongo, the proprietor of Haruna Mall in Ntinda, Kampala has cancelled a six months rent arrears for his 120 tenants.

Sentongo said this is to help his tenants revitalise their businesses that suffered during the six months lockdown that was imposed by the Government to help curd the spread of COVID-19. The written off rent arrears amounts to sh1b.

"In my opinion, we need each other to work; the tenants need the landlord and the landlord needs tenants. During hard times like we are facing now, we must understand," Sentongo said, adding that the economic crisis has affected everyone.

He said he has been engaging his tenants to settle the rent arrears but they requested that they start on a clean slate because they had not generated any income during the lockdown and were only starting to get back on their feet. He also said no tenant had been evicted for failing to clear the arrears. He also welcomed new ones.

Last April, President Yoweri Museveni banned landlords from evicting tenants during COVID-19lockdown. He asked landlords and tenants to agree on how to pay rent when the situation in the country has normalised.

A number of landlords attached to Mukwano Group, Aponye Ltd and Freedom City, among others, have already given rent waivers to traders in their premises, according to the Kampala City Traders Association (Kacita).

Everest Kayondo, the chairperson of Kacita, said the issue of rent arrears is a big threat to business.