Property owners in Kiriri Trading Centre, Mpenja Sub-county, Gomba District, have protested what they describe as an unclear and burdensome tax imposed on residential and commercial buildings.
The landlords say they were recently served with demand notices requiring them to pay taxes on rental houses, business premises and even boys' quarters attached to their homes.
They argue that the levy was introduced without adequate sensitisation, leaving them unclear about its legal basis, calculation and purpose.
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The notices reportedly contain payment deadlines and penalties and were issued through local authorities, according to the affected property owners.
Several landlords, including retirees who invested in rental properties as a source of income in old age, said they were surprised to receive the demands without prior consultation or explanation.
"We are not refusing to pay taxes, but the tax is too high. They never even explained where this tax came from. We only saw officials arriving with documents and ordering us to start paying immediately," one of the landlords said.
The property owners said they subsequently sought the intervention of the Minister for Local Government, Balaam Barugahara, and claim he directed the Resident District Commissioner and district leaders to meet them within 14 days to address their concerns.
However, the landlords allege that the meeting did not take place and that additional demand notices have since been issued.
"Minister Balaam, we appeal to you to come to our rescue. We submitted our complaints to your office and you gave us a letter, but it appears that the leaders at Gomba District have ignored your directives," another landlord said.
The residents also questioned why Kiriri is being subjected to the tax despite not having town council status, while they claim other urban centres in Gomba, including Kanoni and Maddu, are not facing similar charges.
They have appealed to President Museveni to intervene and direct that the tax be scrapped.
The landlords further claim that the tax has affected their rental businesses, with some tenants allegedly leaving after landlords attempted to increase rent to meet the new tax obligations.
The affected property owners recently held a peaceful demonstration around their properties to protest the levy and demand government intervention.
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However, Johnbosco Segirinya, the chairperson of Mpenja Sub-county, denied that the tax originated from the sub-county.
Segirinya said the directive to collect the levy came from Gomba District and was communicated to sub-counties.
"The tax that the landlords are talking about comes directly from the district. It was the district that instructed all sub-counties in Gomba District to collect it, and I believe it is being implemented across Uganda," Segirinya said by telephone.
He said the sub-county administration was therefore not responsible for the tax.
"As a sub-county, we are not responsible for that tax because it is a district tax," he added.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Gomba District officials, including the district chairperson and Chief Administrative Officer, were unsuccessful.
