Madhvani wrong to molest Katooke’s poor
By Yeka Morgan
July 22, 2003Wednesday, July 9 was a black day for the people of Katooke Trading Center in
Kakira sub-county, Jinja district.
Those who watch television read newspapers, or listen to radios must have seen or
heard or read about what happened to the people of Katooke.
Houses were bulldozed, people were made homeless, property destroyed and
property lost A young man, Ndifuna Ndikabona shed tears as he realised he had lost
a suitcase containing his degree transcripts and certificates plus other valuables.
People spent three nights under campfire and children could not go to school but
played in the dust for three days. It was a mourning period for these Ugandans.
The story of Katooke dates back to 1960 when the land was surveyed and gazetted.
In 196, 1 30.5 acres was set aside for the trading center.
Asian businessmen put up structures in the trading center and traded here. The area
developed so far is 6 acres while the rest is actually under illegal cultivation of sugar
cane.
After the expulsion of the Asians by former president Idi Amin in 1972 the buildings
were taken over by the then government but after the enactment of Departed Asians’
Expropriated Property Act of 1982, Madhvani Group requested to be granted
caretaker status of some of the properties (buildings).
The company obtained this status from the then prime minister Otema Alimadi (RIP).
Kakira Sugar Works started running the properties while levying a Shs 10,000 fee per
month, which was meant for minor repairs and welfare. No repairs have ever been
done though.
This went on up to 1999 when the sugar works, through their lawyers, wrote to the
people of Katooke giving notice for eviction and threatened to bulldoze the houses.
The people of Katooke, responded by obtaining the services of a lawyer who wrote to
Kakira asking them to prove ownership within 10 days. Kakira failed to prove this. The
people then approached the district for clarification.
The chief administrative officer wrote to the commissioner physical planning in the
ministry of lands, Mr Herbert Sekandi, on December 29, 1999.
The commissioner replied after investigations and clarified in his letter dated
December 30, 1999 that Kakira Sugar Works does not own Katooke. He also advised
that the centre be brought under the jurisdiction of Jinja. The Madhvanis were
notified of this by Sekandi in a letter dated January 31, 2000.
In 2001, Jinja district council resolved under minute DC/85/2001 to value the houses
and allocate them to the sitting tenants.
After getting a report from the govt valuer the district under minute WH/28/2001
gave lease offers to the People of Katooke. The houses were calued at Shs
1,500,000 each.
The sitting tenants applied and were given allocation letters by Mr Buyinza Abdalla,
the urban and estates officer of Jinja after paying the initial 30% Of the total value.
The balance of money was payable over four years.
In the same year there were a series of communications from the general manager
Kakira Sugar Works requesting the district to degazette Katooke for sugar cane
growing.
In August 2002, Buyinza wrote a confirmation of ownership to those who have paid.
But then in February 2003 Kakira Sugar Works and the office Jinja’s resident district
commissioner brought security personnel from the defunct Operation Wembley to
Katooke who harassed the local.
On March 22, the LCV chairman of Jinja told a meeting of councillors Kakira that he
has discovered that Madhvani had got repossession certificates from Custodian Board
for the Katooke buildings.
On the same day the chairman travelled to Katooke with photocopies of certificates
for eight plots (the developed plots were 26.) claiming to have discovered them from
Custodian Board in Kampala.
The certificates are dated March 21, 2003 and copied to Jinja district council,,
On March 24, 2003 Jinja district council passed a resolution degazetting Katooke for
sugar cane growing.
In April 2003, the sub-county council of Kakira protested the district resolution on
grounds that 800 people will be displaced. It also argued that many people eke a
living out of this place and that government had even established a health centre in
Katooke.
But on April 29, the people received eviction notices giving them 30 days to leave.
Government never intervened even after it was request.
Upon the intervention of Kakira sub-county council Madhvani agreed to compensate
each landlord Shs 200,000 and an equal amount to tenants.
But divided by the ten families this meant each household was to receive just Shs
20,000 – and only on condition that the people vacated the premises.
Naturally, the offer met with protest and a subsequent application for a court
injunction on July 7. But this did not deter Madhvani from sneaking in at 6 p.m. two
days after with four caterpillar bulldozers, and under heavy guard by riot police,
regular police, local defence unit personnel and his own security.
People were disorganized displaced and they lost properties.
The destruction only stopped when lawyers from Naziwa & Co. Advocates brought an
injunction stopping the eviction exercise.
26 properties were destroyed without any compensation. The people are still
psychologically tortured and under trauma.
The writer is the speaker of Kakira sub-county council. He can be reached at 075
- 628796 or Ukuyaa @ hotmail-ca
© 2003 The Monitor Publications
Mitayo Potosi
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