Highly placed sources close to controversial city businessman Hamis Kiggundu the proprietor of Ham Enterprises have revealed to Ono Bwino that he picked interest in taking over and developing Nakivubo drainage channel in the Kampala Central business district over 10 years back and started strategizing on how to execute his multibillion business plan.
As he was planning on how to takeover the nine kilometers drainage channel, he learnt that other businessmen like Drake Lubega, Daudi Kitandwe and John Bosco Muwonge were also chasing the same deal.
He had to swiftly strategise on how to speed up his plans through his connections in President Museveni’s government.
He tried to execute his plan during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown but the deal was risky. Even his friend Steven Tanui the former Kampala Metropolitan police commander did not support him.
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It is alleged that Tanui told Ham that he had not yet obtained the necessary documentations from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and other concerned government agencies.
Catholics at St Balikuddembe Church and traders in St Balikuddembe market (Owino) got to know about his plan and through the leadership of Suzan Kushaba, they immediately started fighting him on ground telling traders that he wanted to take their market as he did to Park yard market where he built his multibillion buildings after traders were forcefully evicted.
After realising that Kushaba had become a problem, through his close friend the Kampala senior minister Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, Kushaba was forcefully removed from the leadership of Owino market on orders of President Museveni and even threatened with criminal prosecution.
She was then only saved by former KCCA Executive Director Dr. Dorothy Kisaka.
As he was starting to take possession of the drainage channel, he leant that Kampala Lord Mayor Ssalongo Erias Lukwago had secured criminal charges against him through KCCA Court prosecutor and the criminal charges were already sanctioned.
To weaken Lukwago, his longtime enemy, Kiggundu was advised by Minister Kabanda to compromises the KCCA Council because the technical wing was already in her bag. Ham assigned Minister Kabanda to handle the KCCA councillors because Lukwago was set to present a dangerous report against him to them.
Sources claim that the minister first sat with the KCCA Speaker Zaharah Luyulika Maala who told her that she alone cannot help her. Luyirika advised the Minister to involve all councillors even though she is currently accused of playing a strong role in compromising many of them to support Kiggundu’s plan of take over the drainage channel.
KCCA sources allege that lthe Minister ferried all the councillors to the businessman and in the meeting, they agreed to support him in the council but with a condition that he has to first give them a deposit of Shs2m out of the Shs10m they agreed which the businessman agreed.
When the council meeting sat, apart from John Mary Ssebuufu who is an executive member of the Lord Mayor’s Executive, other National Unity Platform (NUP) councillors including Luyirika were very hostile against Lukwago accusing him of fighting a fellow Muganda because he didn’t offer him a bribe
“We are tired of you Lukwago, you only fight projects where you have not been bribed like this one. Why are you only singling out Kiggundu’s projects? Is it because he refused to bribe you when you wanted his buildings to be demolished? That will never happen, I’m telling you Lukwago, enough is enough,” councillor Faridah Nakabugo who represents Lubaga Division said.
A resolution was passed by the council rubbishing Lukwago’s report and exonerating Kiggundu.
KCCA legal Director Frank Rusa also ordered the abandoning of the criminal charges against the businessman.
Immediately after the passing of the resolution, a number of councillors were cited flocking the tycoon’s offices so that he ‘shakes’ their hand and they left while jubilating on how they had humbled Lukwago.
It was a bee of activities at Kiggundu’s offices as even KCCA technical staff were also cited meeting the businessman.
Ministers Kabanda and Kabuye Kyofatogabye accompanied by Daniel Nuwabine the authority’s spokesperson worked tirelessly on completion of the entire plan of the project.
Prime minister Robina Nabanja who was assigned by the President to make sure that Kiggundu develops the channel confirmed that the design showing how the channel will look after the development were made by KCCA staff.
A desperate Lukwago decided to petition NUP leadership through a letter he addressed to David Lewis Rubongoya the party Secretary General who he imploded to intervene and save the public property which their party councillors had donated to Kiggundu.
However, Lukwago was silenced when he leant that KCCA councillors led by Luyirika were planning to respond to his allegation before their party bosses by impeaching him as they did in the 2011-2016 term.
“There is nothing going to happen, Luyirika explains everything to Bobi Wine and he also knows Lukwago’s tactics of fighting fellow opposition leaders,” one of the councillors boasted when contacted a few months back by this reporter over the matter.
But after seeing Museveni’s letter, NUP leadership through the Leader of Opposition in parliament and also the party spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi came out and assured the public that they are going to summon their councillors over the allegations placed on them.
Some of the councillors are already denying the allegations and claiming that they did not attend the meeting that passed the resolution.
This website has exclusively learnt that Bobi Wine is also investigating allegation that a section of KCCA councillors through Luyirika approached Ssebuufu, a member of the party’s Election Committee to help them to secure the party ticket.
But sources claim that Ssebuufu told Luyirika that he cannot help them. He however advised her to tell the councillors to prepare themselves and face the committee even though there are allegations that some suggested bribing him.
One of the councillors told this website that they will avenge on Lukwago by making sure that he defeated by NUP’s Ronald Balimwezo
However, PLM’s Suzan Kushabe warned that many NRM candidates are going to lose in the next election because she has information that Kiggundu has offered huge financial support to NUP candidates so that they return to KCCA because they helped him to seal.
When contacted, Luyirika declined to comment on the matter even though Nabanja assured the public that come what may, the drainage will be developed by Kiggundu because those are the directives his boss the president gave her to execute with immediate effect.
Former Lubaga North legislator Moses Kasibante warned Kampala voters to be careful during the coming elections so that they are not misled into voting leaders who will be used to sell public properties to individuals as NUP councillors did.
