Tabu Butagira
4 May 2008
Kampala — The army has denied allegations of using underhand methods to grab the property of late President Idi Amin located on plots 33-35, Chwa Road in Mbuya, Kampala - four years after the former dictator died in exile in September 2003.
Maj. Paddy Ankunda, the defence and military spokesman said mid last week that the army has never owned the prime land in question, as alleged by three army officers currently occupying apartments on the land, and that, therefore, the institution should not be sucked into the raging ownership controversy.
"The army has no interest at all in that property," said Maj. Ankunda, "The matter [wrangle] is between the individual army officers occupying the house [on the contested land] and the claimants (Amin's family)."
Brig. Fred Mugisha, the commander of the UPDF's Field Artillery Division, Lt. John Mwesigwa of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence and Capt. Fred Zedekia, attached to Army General headquarters in Bombo currently reside in the contested buildings.
The trio first refused to vacate the house as ordered by President Yoweri Museveni on grounds that the Uganda Land Commission held the land in trust for the army. They later claimed that Amin obtained the property fraudulently.
Ms Maimuna Amin, one of the daughters of the late President said the 0.845 hectare land at Mbuya is "our family property", which "Mzee bought using his personal money."
Documents seen by Sunday Monitor indicate that the details of the transactions for plots 33-35 were entered in the particulars of Al-Hajji Field Marshall Idi Amin Dada at 11.00 a.m. on March 15, 1976.
"I don't know why the UPDF officers are disobeying Gen. Museveni's order to vacate our house," Ms Amin said, "Now, they are trying to use their power and money to manipulate things and grab the land and houses on it."
Gen. David Tinyefuza, the coordinator of national intelligence agencies whom President Museveni tasked to ensure the Amin family repossesses the property and be paid rent arrears dating to 1986, said he is "handling the matter."
"Since the officers living in the house are employees of the Ministry of Defence, I have asked the defence ministry and Attorney General's office to handle it," he said.
The Attorney General, Mr Kidhu Makubuya was not available for comment while his Deputy Mr Fred Ruhindi could not answer repeated phone calls from this paper.
Late Amin's son, Maj. Gen. Taban Amin, now the deputy director general of the International Security Organisation (in charge West Nile/eastern DRC) said they want the authorities to evict the three officers.
"We still hope that the soldiers occupying our family house at Mbuya will have the discipline to listen to the President and Commander-in-Chief Gen. Museveni and leave so that we secure vacant possession of the property immediately," he said adding: "We are tired of waiting for what is genuinely ours."
He said the family had all documents to prove ownership of the Mbuya plot. But Sunday Monitor has learnt that the copy of the original title deed for the contested property has mysteriously vanished from the file of the Registrar of Titles at the Central Registry at the lands ministry.
Instead two documents; one of which could be a forged title, are now in circulation.
"I don't know how it happened but the person who is the custodian of records at the Lands Registry should be able to explain or be liable when another person forges the said documents to claim our plots in Mbuya," said Ms Amin.
Even after an official appointment on April 22, Sunday Monitor waited for more than one an hour before seeing Ms Sarah Basangwa, the acting Commissioner for Land Registry who suddenly said she could not speak to journalists without authorisation by line Permanent Secretary, Mr Gabindadde Musoke.
She referred Sunday Monitor to the permanent secretary. But the secretary to the PS, who identified herself as Ms Brenda said her boss, Mr Musoke would not be available for many days.
The ministry's spokesman, Mr Denis Obbo had earlier said the explanation Sunday Monitor was seeking on disappearance of title deeds was a "tough one".
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