The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA council has summoned former Executive Director, Jennifer Musisi to explain the exorbitant legal fees. KCCA is indebted to the tune of Shillings 49.7 billion in legal fees.
It was the unanimous decision of KCCA councilors to summon Musisi to appear before the council on September 9th, 2019 as the former Accounting officer of KCCA during whose tenure KCCA accumulated the legal fees. The costs were highlighted in the 2018 KCCA Public Accounts Committee report, which is under discussion by the council.
The costs resulted from garnishee orders and consent agreements from 82 cases. The Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, says Musisi has to appear to explain the matter since the costs accumulated under her leadership as the accounting officer.
Others summoned are Yusuf Nsibambi, the Chairman Kampala District Land Board, Board Secretary, Martha Komugisha, former Director Legal Affairs KCCA, Charles Ouma and former KCCA lawyer, Jehoash Sendege of Sendege, Senyondo & Advocates.
Some of the cases lost involved the District Land Board including those when the board allocated land already occupied. A case in point is Fancy Faces Company that sued the land board for parallel land allocation.
According to the report, court awarded Fancy Faces Company Shillings 2.8 billion. The Ag. Director Legal Affairs KCCA, Caleb Mugisha, says Fancy had paid Shillings 100 million in premium.
Lukwago says Nsibambi has to explain how the board allocated land that had already been taken, which cost the Authority.
Jehoash Sendega is needed to explain how KCCA suffered such costs when he was the Authority’s counsel and the different consent agreements he entered into while representing KCCA. He is also required to explain the garnishee order he secured against KCCA to pay him over Shillings 14 billion.
Sendege sued KCCA demanding payment for over 300 cases where he reportedly represented KCCA but wasn’t paid. The Ag. KCCA Executive Director, Eng. Andrew Kitaka told the council that management wasn’t a part of the consent agreements entered by Sendege as their Counsel.
Doreen Nyajura, the Makerere University Councilor, says it is unfortunate that KCCA has to suffer such legal costs. She says that the matter should also be referred to the Inspector General of Government. She thinks there is a possibility for connivance between the legal team of KCCA, litigants and the judicial system.
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