Travellers and staff at Entebbe International Airport were on Tuesday afternoon left in panic mode after a businessman identified as Yusuf Kulembera died aboard Ethiopian Airlines plane minutes after it landed at Entebbe International Airport.

Without revealing the cause of his death, Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCCA) spokesperson, Vianney Luggya, noted that doctors confirmed Kulembera’s death upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport.

“The passenger arrived aboard Ethiopian airlines that touched down at 1:47 pm. The doctors checked and confirmed his death. The body was then taken to City Mortuary Mulago, Kampala for postmortem,” Luggya confirmed.

According to reports, Kulembera, a resident of Nkumba, Katabi Town Council in Wakiso District was flying to Dubai for business.

By Kobusiinge Monica

Vantage Mezzanine Fund 11 Partners, a South Africa money lending company through their lawyers of M/S Kirunda & Wasige Advocates have hired the services of Quickway Auctioneers & Court Bailiffs to auction properties worth billions belonging to city tycoon Patrick Bitature, the proprietor of the Simba Properties Investments Companies Limited.

In an Advert placed in Wednesday’s Daily Monitor newspaper, the Court Bailiffs informed the debtor Bitature that he has only 30 days to pay the amount of money with interests borrowed from their client otherwise his properties will be sold off through auctioning.

Among the properties which the set to be sold include Protea Hotel-Naguru (Skyz Hotel), Elizabeth Royal Apartments and Moyo Close Apartments.

Bitature’s troubles started in 2014 when he secured a $10m loan from Vantage Mezzanine and he used the said properties as security.

However, Bitature’s lawyer Fred Muwema rubbished the said auctioning claiming that it is illegal and violates the laws governing the auctioning process.

The advert in today’s Daily Monitor auctioning Bitature’s properties

The furious lawyer even threatened to sue the Daily Monitor for advertising illegal and malicious information against his client claiming that the matter was settled in Justice Musa Ssekaana’s ruling.

He insisted that High Court judge Ssekana refused to allow the auctioning and advised both parties to wait for the pending judgement before the High Court Commercial Division in Kampala.

Vantage Mezzanine dragged Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB), Simba Properties Investment Company Limited, Simba Telecom Limited, Linda Properties Limited, Elgon Terrace Hotel Limited to court for failing to transfer the mortgaged properties into their names.

When Bitature failed to pay his loan, Vantage started the process of transferring the shares of the mortgaged properties but URSB refused to implement the process that is why they were also sued.

In their suit, Vantage wanted a Court declaration that it was illegal for URSB to refuse to register documents lodged to transfer the mortgage.

However, Bitature through his lawyers wants Court to declare that it was illegal for Vantage to register the transfer until the completion of the Commercial Court matter.

An affidavit from Moses Muziki, on behalf of the applicant stated that on 18^th June, 2021, the applicant lodged documents relating to the transfer of shares in Simba Properties Investments Company Limited, Simba Properties Limited, Linda Properties Limited and Elgon Terrace Hotel Limited.

He added that the respondents did not comply with the law and did not provide the applicant with a satisfactory reason for not registering the shares and their lawyers learnt that the respondent’s lawyers were requesting to halt the process.

“This Court would have issued an order of mandamus compelling the applicant’s request to consider the registration of their documents on merit or advance reasons for denial or refusal to register the same in accordance with the law,” the judge ruled.

Muwema based on the above ground to protest the process of auctioning their client’s properties.

By Sengooba Alirabaki

Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi’s Kigo Land war with city tycoon Hamis Kiggundu, the proprietor of the Ham Enterprises Limited has deepened after Ham’s lawyers called for the prosecution of Buganda Land Board (BLB) boss Bashir Kizito Juma over conflict of interest.

Kabaka through his lawyers led by Buganda Attorney Christopher Bwanika, lawyers from K&K Advocates and S&L Advocates petitioned the registrar Land Registration John Karuhanga seeking the cancellation of land titles Comprised on Kyadondo Block 273 plot 23974, 23976, 23975, 23977 and Kyadondo Block 273 plot 87,99, 110 situated at Kigo in Wakiso district.

Kabaka asserted that he is the rightful owner of the land and accused Ham of fraudulently conniving with officers at Wakiso district land board to grab his land which he inherited from his father and grandfathers.

He added that Ham admitted that he illegally obtained the land and accepted the cancellation which he strongly objected to in his defense before Karuhanga.

In his defense, Ham, through his lawyers led by Fred Muwema contended that he is the owner of the land after he legally obtained it from Wakiso district land board.

He claimed that the survey report which Kabaka Mutebi based on to argue his case is fake since it is not even dated and that’s the reason why he appointed a private surveyor William Matovu to conduct another survey report which contradicted with that of the Kabaka. He promised to present it to the registrar.

He pleaded to the registrar not to base on the testimony of Bashir Kizito Juma, the legal Attorney to Kabaka because he has a conflict of interest in the matter.

“Our contention is that there is an actual conflict of interest in the duties of Bashir Kizito Juma acting both as a public officer and a private officer of the complainant,” Ham’s lawyers said.

They added, “This type of conduct by Bashir Kizito Juma is against the Code of Conduct and Ethics of Public Service issued under the Public Standing Orders 2010.”

They divulged that conflict of interest is a punishable crime in Uganda especially where a public officer holds a position in a private body whose operations are in conflict with his official duties.

He added that the irony of the matter is that the freehold titles were granted by the Wakiso District Land, which employs Bashir Kizito Juma which means that he is both a witness and the architect of the complaint.

“This tribunal can therefore not entertain this conflict of public officers to pursue a conflicted complaint which derogates all best practice in public law. In our considered view, entertaining this complaint as presently filed is to perpetuate illegality and a constitutionally prohibited act,” they stated.

Ham pleaded with Karuhanga’s tribunal to dismiss the complaint and declare him the rightful owner of the said land.

Bashir Kizito Juma is the head Corporate affairs, operations and business development at Buganda Land Board (BLB), a corporate body that runs the kingdom’s land.

Karuhanga is set to declare his team’s decision this week.

By Sengooba Alirabaki