The Permanent Secretary and Secretary to Judiciary Pius Bigirimana has exclusively confirmed to the mighty Grapevine that the Judiciary is handling administratively the eviction threats from Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, the Kabaka of Buganda Kingdom and city businessman Sudhir Ruparelia.
“I cannot comment much on those issues but we are handling them administratively,” Bigirimana said in a telephone interview.
Multiple credible sources in judiciary intimated to theGrapevine that Kabaka Mutebi’s government has given judiciary three options; either to pay their rent arrears which are in billions of shillings, vacate their building or buy them.
The building in question house Mwanga II and Mengo Chief Magistrate’s Court.
“We don’t have the money to buy the building, and the only option we have now is to vacate and we are working overtime to make sure that before the end of this year, we vaccate Kabaka Mutebi’s building. They have already issued the eviction notice and we cannot wait to be humiliated by Court bailiffs. Because if we insist, we risk seeing our court files being throuwn out and making headlines,” a top judicial officer said.
He added that the judiciary is still searching for a suitable building where to shift to. The one they got near Noah’s Ark Secondary School Kabuusu was rejected because it can only house Mwanga II Court yet their goal is to get a building which can house both courts as it is at Kabaka’s building.
The insider added that another building at Wakulukuku was also rejected because it is too far. The two courts at Kabaka’s building handle cases from Lubaga division and Natete, yet the Wankulukuku building was too small and could only house Mengo Chief Magistrate’s Court.
The building where Kabaka is evicting the judiciary is part of the first properties that president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s government returned to Kabaka in 1993.
Buganda Kingdom was not reached for a comment because Owekitiibwa Noah Kiyimba, the Kingdom spokesperson’s known phone known numbers were not going through, We were later told that he is out of the country.
“He travelled with Premier Charles Peter Mayiga to the United States Of America. And he is the only person authorized to speak on that matter,” a top minister in Kabaka’s government told theGrapevine.
Last year, Mengo wrote to president Museveni’s government demanding rent arrears worth Shs.215bn.
Among the government properties that are seated on Kabaka’s land include Entebbe State House.
Mayiga told the media early this month that government is not paying rent on which State House is seated.
Others government buildings that have huge rent arrears include sub county buildings, military barracks, prisons, schools and others.
However, controversial city lawyer Hassan Male Mabirizi protested the move to evict the judiciary through a deadly letter to Kabaka Mutebi’s lawyers of K&K Advocates.
In his letter Mabirizi wants the Kabaka to halt demanding rent and evicting government agencies from their buildings until the determination of his petition he filed at the Constitutional Court.
“Under paragraph 4 of the above petition, 1, among others prayed orders Nullifying all arrangements, settlements and understanding between Kabaka and Government of Uganda that Kabaka be compelled to refund to government of Uganda all monies received under cover of ground rent, lease premiums” the letter reads in parts.
Last year, the Judiciary vacated Kasangati Magistrate Court which was also owned by Buganda building. They relocated to another remote place in Namavundu.
SUDHIR EVICTS ANTI-CORRUPTION AND WAR CRIMES COURTS
The judiciary also faces another eviction from city businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, the chairman Ruparalia Group of Companies who wants to take over the buildings which are housing the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court, the Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Court, Crimes War Division of the High Court.
Highly placed sources in Judiciary revealed to theGrapevine that Sudhir informed them that he bought the said building located at Kololo, a Kampala suburb from the owner (names withheld) and he told the judiciary to leave because he wants to use it for other businesses.
Sources said that the judiciary top management decided to shift to Col. John Mugenyi’s building at Wandegeya opposite the Ministry of Health headquarters.
Col. Mugenyi’s building has been empty since the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) vacated it early this year. The judiciary rented it to house the Supreme Court.
Insiders in the judiciary disclosed that they are very sure that by the end of this year, the Supreme Court will be shifted to the new building at the High Court Criminal Division near City Square which is going to house the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal is currently renting at Twed Towers in Nakasero, a Kampala suburb.
Sources further disclosed that the High Court Land Division and Civil Division of the High Court will remain renting at Twed Towers because they all cannot fit in the new building at the High Court Criminal Division.
By Sengooba Alirabaki
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