COSASE hands Securex Amenities director to CID

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises-COSASE on Tuesday handed over Bob Kanaabi, one of the three Directors of Securex Amenities Uganda Limited to the police over his involvement in the fraudulent acquisition of a lease for the Kampala Capital City Dispensary land.

It follows a directive by Joel Ssenyonyi, the Chairperson of Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authority and State Enterprises – COSASE that is investigating the questionable lease of the KCCA Dispensary land located on Plot 71 Nkrumah Road in 2010.

The land measuring 0.657 hectares was leased to Securex Amenities by the then Kampala City Council – KCC without due diligence as required by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets regulations of 2006.

Ssenyonyi tasked Kanaabi to explain how Securex applied for the lease in April 2010 before the company was incorporated by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau – URSB on 27th May 2010.

In his response, Kanaabi admitted that he and his two other business associates who included; Ephraim Ntaganda, and Innocent Mutajabura had only opened and booked the name for the company but lacked the certificate of incorporation.

Dissatisfied by the Kanaabi’s responses, Ssenyonyi ordered the police detectives attached to the Committee to arrest and interrogate him further to ascertain how Securex was granted a lease for an initial period of 5 years in 2010 and an extension for 40 years in 2012 before the title was later changed into freehold.

The committee also tasked Kintu Mubala, the former Secretary of the Uganda Lands Commission – ULC to explain how Securex was granted a lease for the Dispensary land without satisfying the requisite paperwork but he said it was the responsibility of the Registrar of Lands.

During Financial Year 2019/2020, the Auditor General in a report revealed that Securex Amenities did not fulfill the terms of the lease agreement which included; the construction of an adequate parking area, and office space, surrendering one entire floor to the City Authority and modern health facility.

According to the Auditor General’s report, since the property was leased out, the then KCC now Kampala City Council Authority – KCCA Dispensary ceased to exist.

In 2012 Mahmud Bharwani, Shaida Bharwani, and Baiju Joshi Bharwani acquired 100 percent interests of the three directors Securex, took possession, and later changed the title from leasehold to freehold.

In October 2022, Kanaabi was arrested by the police alongside his other business associate Denis Ntwama, over alleged forgery of land title at Naguru in Nakawa Division. According to police, the duo processed the title in their names at 200 million Shillings with the intention of selling it at three billion Shillings.

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