City businessman Haruna Sentongo has suffered a setback in the legal battle to save his multimillion empire which is under threat of being auctioned by I&M Bank formerly Orient bank over a Shs10bn debt.

Justice Harriet Grace Magala of the Commercial Division of the High Court dismissed with cost the application filed by Sentongo seeking a court order staying taxation proceedings against him until the determination of his appeal at the Court of Appeal.

In his affidavit, Sentongo challenged the proceedings of taxation against him explaining that he challenged the order for payment of costs in his Appeal and he has secured the interim order staying the execution of the orders of the lower court.

He accused the bank of abusing the court process by filing the bill of costs which will irremediably prejudice to his appeal.

He pleaded with court to exercise its inherent powers to stay the execution proceedings of the bank’s bill of costs because if it is allowed, it is going to be a  pivotal ground on his appeal and render the appeal nugatory and academic.

The bank protested the application through the affidavit in reply deposed by Cheguvera Mushemeza, the Legal Officer of the bank, stating that the application for stay of execution is an abuse of court process.

Mushemeza explained to the court that the court of appeal granted Sentongo a conditional stay but he failed to comply with it. He added that the court of appeal issued an interim injunction against the sale of the mortgaged property and an interim stay of execution of the Decree.

He explained that the Court partially allowed the application but declined to grant a stay of execution and it is the ground they based on to file and serve their bill of costs in the consolidated suits which was scheduled for taxation on the 7th June 2023.

He stated that prior to the taxation hearing date, Sentongo was invited for a pre- taxation hearing on the 5th June 2023 but he either declined or failed to attend.

In her ruling over the matter, Justice Magala explained that her court cannot entertain Sentongo’s application because he is in contempt of the court order issued against him.

“The applicant therefore came to court with unclean hands. For that reason, the court cannot exercise its judicial discretion in the Applicant’s favor unless he has purged himself of the contempt. In the result, this Application is dismissed with costs to the Respondent,” Justice Magala ruled.

Sentongo is challenging the decision by the Commercial Division of the High Court which dismissed his case challenging the bank’s action to auction his commercial property known as Segawa Market, on land situated on Kibuga Block 12 Plots 250 and 251, Kisenyi Kampala city over Shs10bn debt.

Court records indicate that in 2015, Sentongo approached the bank for a financial facility for completion of the commercial blocks for Segawa Market which was to be rented out to tenants to derive rental income.

Both parties executed a facility letter dated 22^nd February, 2016, for a Loan of Shs5bn and it was agreed that the facility would only be serviced through rent collections from the market if the bank funded the development.

Sentongo claims that the bank breached the facility contract by failing to disburse the agreed sums of monies.

Court documents show that Sentongo told the Commercial Division of the High Court that the ban would purport to credit his bank account, and synonymously liquidate the loan, paying itself back immediately with the sums credited, and the sums it would repay itself were always reflected as “Loan amounts recovered”.

The bank on the other hand, according to court documents claimed that between February to October 2016, Sentongo was granted several loan facilities and at his request, they were consolidated into one term loan with a single monthly instalment amortized for a period of five years.

He however, failed to meet his loan repayment obligations consequent upon which the bank issued him two notices of default.

The bank further claimed that when they started the process of recovering their sum of Shs10bn, Sentongo decided to institute a lawsuit and was defeated at the High Court. He appealed at the higher court.

By Grapevine Reporters

Fans of Meddie Nsereko Ssebulimba a celebrated political talk show host at Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi’s Central Broadcasting Services (CBS) radio are questioning the whereabouts of their man.

It is now a month since Nsereko abruptly stopped hosting Kkiriza oba gaana talk show which aired every day from Monday to Thursday on 89.2FM and Palamenti Yaffe on 88.8FM every Saturday.

Nsereko’s proggrammes are currently being hosted by Lameck Kigozi and his alive and kicking entertainment show that airs every Sunday morning is currently being hosted by his fellow senior comedian Hajji Abbey Mukiibi Nkaga.

Highly placed sources at CBS told theGrapevine that Nsereko asked for a leave of one month after he was attacked by a strange disease.

Sources disclosed that Nsereko was advised by his personal doctors to seek further medication from the United States of America.

A reporter at CBS however told us that they were informed that Nsereko has been responding well to medication and he is expected back to work very soon.

“I cannot confirm that he was rushed to America very ill but we are told that he is on sick leave for one month,” this source said.

Nsereko is one of the highly educated and trained political journalists in Uganda with huge experience.

theGrapevine made efforts to talk to Nsereko for a comment but his known phone numbers were not going through.

By Grapevine Reporter

A Ugandan medic based in London has blasted the newly unveiled Inebantu (Queen of Busoga) Jovia Mutesi for snatching the father of her kids King William Gabula Nadiope IV, the Kyabazinga of Busoga Kingdom.

According to the video posted by TikToker Sky Soljah Uganda that is making rounds on social media, a woman claims that she has been in a love relationship with Nadiope since 2015 and they have children.

She claimed that she has been sending money to Kyabazinga and taking care of him.

She alleged that it is a pity that Gabula used part of her money to enjoy life with Mutesi in Dubai and other cities.

She added that Kyabazinga told him that elders and other leaders in Busoga Kingdom are pressuring him to get married to Mutesi and she gave him the green light because as an African woman, she knows very well that the King always marries many wives.

She said that she has been silent for a longtime even though she knew everything that was going on.

However, she disclosed she was provoked by Mutesi who sent her people to insult and abuse her.

She revealed that Gabula has a number of wives including the one in Canada but all of them respect her because they know what she means in his life.

She challenged Gabula’s close relatives to come out and give light on her love relationship with their king since they have also been receiving expensive items and money from her.

She boasted that Mutesi is going to be a housewife because their husband will always to fly to London to enjoy life with her and their children.

She insisted that Mutesi and Busoga Kingdom cannot maintain Gabula’s life given that every week he uses Shs500k for saloon, Shs600k for massage, Shs600k for special medical treatment and she has been giving him this money since 2015.

She advised Mutesi to respect her and recognise her as Gabula’s first wife.

She warned her and other people who are threatening her life that they cannot scare her because she is a British citizen and has already reported the threatening messages they are sending to her.

She also threatened to spoil the coming wedding between the two which is expected to take place in November 2023.

She blasted Nadiope for being a smart wire who uses women.

When contacted over the matter, Andrew Ntange the spokesperson of Obwakyabazinga told theGrapevine that a decision was taken not to comment on the matter to preserve the institution.

“We don’t want to appear to be on the defensive. It’s negative energy!” Ntange stated.

Last week, a delegation from Busoga Kingdom led by Princes Arnold Nadiope and Joseph Muvawala the Katukiiro (Prime Minister) of Busoga officially received Mutesi from her parents Stanley Bayole, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Bulambuli and Rebecca Nakisita Bayole at the function which took place at Mutesi’s home in St. Mulumba Village, Kyebando parish in Mayuge district.

Mutesi is an Old girl of Mt. St. Mary’s College Namagunga before joining Makerere University where she pursued a Bachelors of Arts degree in Economics.

At Makerere, she slept in Olympia hostel in Makerere Kikoni.

By Grapevine Reporter