Sheila Akandwanaho, wife to the Chief Coordinator of the Operation Wealth Creation Gen Salim Saleh has been cited in the ownership of the disputed 1.6 acre land at Luzira, Nakawa Division a Kampala suburb.
According to documents seen by this investigative website, Sheila is one of the directors of Emmaus Foundation Investments Limited, a company that is claiming ownership of the land currently occupied by ex-prisoners under United Reformed Prisoners Association (UREPA).
Documents further reveal that other directors include; Martin Barigye and Isaac Atukunda, a prominent city lawyer who tried to contest against Isaac Ssemakadde for the position of Uganda Law Society president.
Documents from the company registry show that the three persons were on March 17 2028 appointed as directors of Emmaus Foundation Investments limited which acquired the purported 99 year lease on the disputed land on June 23, 2010.
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It is alleged that the land on plot 1, Third Ring Road was allocated for rehabilitation and vocational projects as well as creating employment for ex-convicts by the Uganda Prisons Service during the reign of then Commissioner General, Joseph Etima in 1997.
The allocation, according to documents, followed a request by the Rotary Club of Kampala West. It currently houses carpentry and metal fabrication workshops managed by former prisoners and their families.
However, Emmaus Foundation Investments Limited under unscrupulous circumstances acquired a 99-year lease which was cancelled by the Uganda Land Commission on the directive of the lands minister.
In a December 18, 2019 directive, State Minister for lands Persis Namuganza wrote to the chairperson of the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) complaining that Emmaus Foundation was granted a full-term lease yet it had not carried out any development and was not in possession of the land.
The minister cited the Presidential directive which stated that if any person is granted a full-term lease and does not carry out any development on the land within a period of five years, the land should revert to government.
“Attention has been drawn to the petition by UREPA to you contesting the grant of a lease in respect of the said land to Emmaus Foundation Investment Limited dated 28 April 2017 for reason that the said UREPA is the sitting tenant and that the initial lease was fraudulently granted,” reads the minister’s letter in part.
It is alleged that following the minister’s letter, ULC cancelled the lease of Emmaus Foundation Investment Limited, and put up a public notice signpost indicating that the government has since August 4 2023 re-entered and taken possession of the land.
Following the development, ULC had leased the same land to Karago Engineering and Construction Limited after receiving the green light from Uganda Prisons Service.
An April 5, 2022 letter shows that the Uganda Prisons Service gave no objection to Karago Engineering and Construction Limited who disclosed that they intended to develop the said land.
Court documents show that in March 2022, the Uganda Prisons Service complained to ULC that the transactions regarding Emmaus Foundation Investment Limited acquiring a title on the said land was done without obtaining a letter of no objection from the Prisons.
“I am also aware that the title is being used to obtain money from unsuspecting persons and is likely to be a subject of contention in future. It is therefore my suggestion that you consider recalling this title because it was acquired without following proper legal procedures, since Uganda Prisons now has interest in developing the piece of land,” reads the letter signed by Emiku Samuel Baker.
Documents indicate that Emmaus Foundation Limited through its founder the late Fr John Scalabrini was contracted to build a workshop which is operational to date while they are in possession of the land.
It is alleged that the land in dispute was leased to Emmaus Foundation Limited and transferred to Emmaus Foundation Investments Limited without the knowledge and consent of the Uganda Prisons Service.
Geoffrey Baguma the director of Karago Engineering and Construction Limited questioned how a property that belonged to the government under Uganda Prisons Service was acquired by individuals without the knowledge and consent of the user entity.
“We were shocked that UREPA applied for a lease in December 2007 to ULC but neither response nor reason was given for not granting the lease. We sat waiting in vain. And can you imagine Emmaus Foundation Investment Limited applied for 99 years yet they were not in possession of the land and had no development in place,” said Baguma while questioning a letter purportedly written by President Museveni to grant them the said land.
While showing documents of how Emmaus Foundation Limited was contracted and paid to construct the workshop, Baguma challenged Emmaus Foundation Investments Limited to show how they acquired the land.
But the ex-prisoners have accused the directors of Emmaus Foundation Investments Limited of vandalism and destruction of property in an attempt to evict them on their land.
It is alleged that the group using civilian dressed armed men broke into their carpentry and metal fabrication workshops and stole property before they vainly fenced off the disputed land.
“We were attacked in the night by armed men who stole our phones and property. The same people wanted to throw us out of the property. No eviction order was ever served unto us,” Ronald Ongom, one of the employees and resident on the disputed land said.
However, directors of Emmaus Foundation Investments Limited led by Barigye blamed members of UREPA of not allowing them to utilize their land.
“As the owner of the land, I have the right to do whatever I want to do on this land. I went to court and I have a court order stopping ULC from entering into this land,” he told residents who were protesting before him on the land.
