Henry Mukasa and Joyce Namutebi
24 November 2008
Kampala — THE Indian charity, Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal, has no claim on Bat Valley Primary School, two probe committees of Parliament have said.
The social services committee, as well as the ad hoc committee comprising lawyers, stated that the 49-year property lease by the Indian group expired on November 1, 2006.
The main report stated that when the lease expired, the school management committee opposed its renewal by the Indian charity, which had repossessed the school in 2001.
The ad hoc committee, in a report presented to Parliament last Thursday, stated that the ownership of the land changed when the lease elapsed.
"The ad hoc committee notes that the reason why the trustees were advised to secure a formal lease offer was because the lease had expired. The committee's recommendation that the Government should not renew the lease of SSDM (Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal) does not, therefore, apply since there is no lease to renew," the report, read by Chua MP Okello Okello (UPC) stated.
"The land has, therefore, effectively reverted to the owner, the Kampala district land board," the committee members said.
"The board may or may not allocate the land to the trustees," they added.
On management, the MPs said the Solicitor General had advised that while Kampala City Council (KCC) manages the school, the trustees of the Indian charity should have a say since they owned the land.
Several MPs concurred with the two reports apart from Speaker Edward Sekandi, who said the trustees of the Indian group had paid a sh200m premium to KCC and sh10m for ground rent to the district land board.
"There are receipts to show money was paid. I do not want us to land in complicated litigation," Sekandi warned.
However, Kampala Central MP Erias Lukwago (DP), who presented the school's petition to Parliament, said there was no evidence that procedures for renewal of the lease had been followed.
"I pray that Parliament disposes of this matter. The school is facing demolition and we are going for holidays. It is a UPE school and, therefore, helps poor parents. Let KCC manage it for the good of the parents and pupils," he urged.
Lukwago was supported by Rose Seninde (NRM) and James Kubeketerya (NRM) in a poorly-attended plenary session.
Sekandi adjourned the debate to today due to lack of quorum.
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