Patrick Bitature, Mestil Hotel Owner Among Tycoons Listed in Controversial Sale of Uganda Railways Land

The Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), has obtained the list of companies and individuals who were given land belonging to Uganda Railways Corporation (URC).

When the committee, chaired by Nakawa West MP Joel Ssenyonyi, interacted with URC officials such as managing director Stanley Sendegeya and secretary Sarah Nambasa, the corporation implicated the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) and several businesspeople for taking 57 acres of land stretching from Mukwano Factory up to Mestil Hotel, belonging to URC.

One of these was Patrick Bitature who they claimed had used his Simba Properties company to get two leases.

The others are: Janet Kobusingye, the owner of Mestil Hotel, Charles Kimera, Islamic University, House of Dawda, CTM Uganda Limited, Access Uganda Limited, Yas Company, Alumus Properties, M/S Fairplay Services limited and Kampala International University.

Officials from URC told the Ssenyonyi Committee that ULC gave the land to investors as compensation for the land erroneously allocated in the Naguru-Nakawa Estate.

But Ssenyonyi and his committee accused URC and ULC of failing to follow procurement laws, and relying on a presidential directive to dish out the 57 acres of land to investors in 2010.

URC officials further complained that they were yet to receive the Shs69.5bn from the controversial sale of land.

Next on the investigation is a meeting with ULC officials.