Veteran opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye has spoken out on reports that he owns Equatorial Hotel and several other huge properties. Besides being the fiercest critic to Ugandan long serving President Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni, some people have always claimed that Besigye owns hotels and other multi-billion properties on top of Nsambya Total Station that he has run for nearly three decades.
While has been in the trenches fighting to remove Museveni from power for many years since the turn of the millennium, Besigye has not been spared when it came to allegations that he was closely working for and with the regime.
Those vending these claims were also suggesting that Besigye has running a string of businesses and properties worth billions through proxies.
Yet the son of Kifeefe has admitted that he owns only one business in Kampala: Total Fuel Station Nsambya. Even for this business, Besigye was a dealer.
Besigye has made it clear that he has “never owned the property [Total Fuel Station Nsambya],” adding that “it’s always been Total property” for which he was “only a Dealer – operator of the business.” He emphasized that “the property and all its developments belong to Total.”
The retired colonel from Rwakabengo also sought to dismiss rumors that he had sold off Total Fuel Station Nsambya. “[I] can’t sell what has never been mine! It’s always been the property of Total; I’ve been only a ‘Dealer’ – operating the business on behalf of Total.”
There are also some people – even those singing it on local radios and on social media – that Besigye owns all Total petrol stations in the country. But the four-time presidential candidate says that “it’s [Total Station Nsambya] the only station I was operating.”
He has saluted Ugandans who have supported his dealership business, especially those who used to fuel their vehicles at the Nsambya Total Station even after his opposition to Museveni grew stronger and more chaotic starting in 2001.
“Special thanks are reserved for our wonderful customers for supporting the business all these years. More especially, the customers that continued supporting us from 2001, when I’ve been politically persecuted. Blessings to all,” Besigye wrote.
Meanwhile, a new deal has taken over the Nsambya Total Station, taking over from Besigye who has run it for more than 27 years. Besigye handed over the station to a new dealer on April 19, 2023.
He also spoke out on reports that he was the owner of Equatorial Hotel and that he secretly owned several properties worth billions. Besigye said this was mere propaganda.
“Some propagandists have been saying Equatorial Hotel and other properties in Kampala are mine – lies!” he clarified.
In recent months, there has been noise on the ownership of some big hotels and major companies. (See Details Here and There).
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