Uganda: Secret Pact Shocks Naguru Tenants
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New Vision (Kampala)
17 July 2008
Posted to the web 18 July 2008
Anne Mugisa and Fortunate Ahimbisibwe
Kampala
Representatives of the Naguru/Nakawa Residents' Association were shocked yesterday to learn that another group of tenants had signed an agreement with the Government and a British firm to develop the place.
Sources said the representatives saw the agreement, signed by the rival Nakawa/Naguru Tenants Association, for the first time on Wednesday when they went for arbitration in the Attorney General's office.
The meeting in the Attorney General's office was also attended by officials of the Ministry of Local Government and representatives of OPEC Properties Company, the British developer.
The discovery of the agreement temporarily put off the negotiations, which had been ordered by the High Court in an attempt to have the matter settled out of court.
The Naguru/Nakawa Residents Association had challenged the eviction order in the High Court, arguing that as sitting tenants, they should be given priority to develop the estates.
"Documents came up which we were not privy to. The documents are agreements signed with the government and OPEC by a group which does not represent us," said one of the residents.
They believe that the agreement was used to dupe the cabinet into believing that all parties had agreed.
For a long time, they say, they had been asking the PS of Local Government Vincent Ssekono to give them information about the project but they were left in the dark.
"At first, Ssekono told us that we should wait because the country was preparing for CHOGM. He later said we won't be evicted and that the ministry would set up a tribunal to look into the issue. Then suddenly, we received eviction notices," the source said.
The consultancy report of the British firm, which was shown to the residents during the meeting, laid out a detailed plan comprising the physical layout and settlement guarantees.
Earlier, the Nakawa/Naguru Tenants Association had told journalists that they backed Local Government Minister Kahinda Otafiire on the move to evict the residents. They made the announcement during a joint press conference with Otafiire and Ssekkono.
The group leader, Godfrey Kaganda, said about 1,000 tenants had already sold their interests on goodwill basis. The new tenants hope to acquire apartments in the new estate.
The Naguru/Nakawa Residents' Association, however, have disowned Kaganda's group, saying they do not speak for them.
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