Latest Posts

City Lawyer Vows To Sue Tycoon Karim Over Afaghanis Housing Tender

Human rights  lawyer Isaac Kimaze Semakadde has rushed to court challenging the circumstances under which the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and that of Finance awarded a tender of accommodating the 2,000 Afghanistan evacuees who the US government wants to temporarily live in Uganda to city business man Karim Hirji.

Whereas the deal between the GoU and the US Embassy in Kampala is to have Uganda host up to 2,000 evacuees (many of them well qualified professionals) for an indefinite period of time, slightly more than 100 flew in this week. And there is a high likelihood the planned number of evacuees transiting through the Ugandan stopover could over time grow to 20,000 and more (should this piloting phase go well). All of those in Uganda so far are exclusively being accommodated at tycoon Karim Hirji’s Imperial Resort Hotel Entebbe, something the public-spirited lawyer Isaac Semakadde is vigorously contesting. He wants Court to compel the concerned government officials to explain the criterion that was used to select only the Imperial Group hotels yet there are many other equally good or even better facilities.

The flamboyant city lawyer asserts that under the country’s public procurement laws, all these hotel facilities are entitled to having equal chance to compete with Karim’s hotels so that they too are enabled to cash in. Speaking to journalists in Kampala this Saturday afternoon, Semakadde asserted that the PPDA rules require mandatory transparency, fairness and inclusiveness when such public procurement decisions are being made.

Renowned for always challenging such anomalous decisions by public bodies, Semakadde says he will be formally filing his case in court early next week. He says this is necessary because time has come for the “business cartels” the vastly connected mighty have been creating under the guise of the Covid19 pandemic which is being used as justification to circumvent public procurement principles, rules, laws and practices. The President of the Legal Brains Trust (which is celebrated for being a democracy and human rights watchdog organization) says government officials have been hiding behind the pandemic and the resultant emergency-like situation in the country to engage in “pandemic profiteering” which morally and legally can’t be justified.

Semakadde adds that he will be leveraging on the Ugandan laws in place to ensure that “this ring-fencing of business opportunities for cartels like the Imperial Group of hotels” is challenged, scrutinized and inquired into as to its legality.

He wonders why the GoU, which conducted assessment on a wide range of accommodation facilities and certified many of them as good enough to host such Covid pandemic-related delegations or visitors coming into the country, “turns round and begins handpicking only one company while unlawfully depriving the others.”

He recalls that a number of hotels expressed interest and had their capabilities assessed and certified as good enough which is the reason why he, as a public-spirited lawyer working for the renowned watchdog organization, can simply not afford looking the other way when Imperial Group is being facilitated to become “a monopoly” regarding the lucrative business opportunities embedded in Uganda hosting thousands of Afghani evacuees as requested by the US government which (along with other partners) will be meeting all the expenses for their being in Uganda.

Insisting that back door deal-making won’t be tolerated to go unchallenged anymore, Semakadde claims that 2,000 is merely being quoted as a small number in order “to keep managing expectations” while preventing would-be Imperial Group’s competitors from developing appetite for the same business opportunity. “Otherwise in the long term, that number is going to grow to as much as 20,000 evacuees. And this is the reason we must use courts of law to curtail such deal-making by rogue-minded government officials while creating cartels” under the guise of the Covid pandemic-related emergency situation.

“If we don’t standup now, this culture and pattern of pandemic profiteering is going to become the order of the day in this country,” explained Semakadde also referencing on the vehicle-tracking chip deal which is already being separately challenged in the courts of law. The circumstances under which the Russian technology provider firm was chosen is one of things court is being implored to inquire into and pronounce itself.

Credit Mulengera news

Loading

Don't Miss

EXPOSED! Muyenga Tycoon’s Maid Cited In Land Wrangle

In recent days, Muyenga, Y2K Zone a push Kampala suburb,

Parliament Orders Closure Of Fuelex Petrol Stations For Adulterating Fuel

The Parliamentary Committee on Trade And Industry led by Mbarara

Big Story: Parliament Probes UETCL Bosses Over Corruption, Mismanagement & Controversial UGX 28Billion Compensation Deal

Members of Parliament on the Committee on Environment and Natural

‘Back Off Buganda Land’ Kabaka Mutebi Castigates People Pushing For Abolition Of Mailo Land Tenure System

The Kabaka of Buganda Kingdom Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II has

Big Story: IGG Probes Over Shs1bn Ubos Fraud

The Inspector General of Government (IGG) is investigating top officials

EXPLOSIVE: How Speaker Kadaga & Confidant Hon. Okupa Spent Over US $764,000 (Shs2.8 BN) In-less Than 2 Years In Travels Abroad

Since taking office as Deputy Speaker of Parliament way back

Ham Vs DTB Appeal: Bank Of Uganda Runs Out Of Case, Leaves DTB To Carry Its Own Cross

Bank of Uganda has officially quit the case involving city

Amnesty International Joins Push To Free Presidential Runner Robert Kyagulanyi

The Ugandan authorities must immediately lift the police and military

Exporters Call For Strong Action Against EAC States’ Trade Barriers

Manufacturers have called on the government to impose tough measures

Big Story: How KCCA Officials Messed Up Youth Fund Programs, Stole Billions of Gov’t Funds In Shoddy Deals

Kampala: If there is any government Authority that frustrating President

I Predict Museveni, NRM Victory In 2021 Elections

By Faruk Kirunda Kampala: As we dive into the high

Crisis: Lord Mayor Lukwago Defies Court Order, Appoints Balondemu As Chairman K’la District Land Board

Veteran lawyer Hajji Elias Lukwago, who is the Kampala city

Scandal: Stanbic Bank Bosses Allegedly Steal Borrowers’ Land Titles, Mortgage Them To Dfcu Bank

Several officials at Stanbic Bank are in deep trouble after

Scandal: KCCA Officials On Spot For Blowing Shs 8Bn Under The Guise Of Renovating Old Tax Park

Several officials at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), are

Covid-19 Crisis: Ugandan Students Expected To Sit For UNEB Exams In March 2021

All indications are that a dead year will not be

BoU To Appeal In Supreme Court Over Trashed Crane Bank Case

The Bank of Uganda (BOU) has said it will be

Shame As Top Police Boss Is Convicted Of Car Theft, Ordered To Pay Over Shs282M

Untold shame has engulfed the Uganda Police a senior officer

Just In! Energy Mafias Rock Parliament As Patriotic Young Turks Question AIGP Akullo’s Involvement In Min. Energy Corruption

Panic has rocked Parliament as renowned Parliamentarian and Lawyer Hon.

Energy Mafias Debunked Part III: How Werikhe, Turyagyenda Corruptly Swindled Shs15 Bn For 3 Electricity Distribution Projects In Acholi, Bunyoro & Kiruhura

FUNDING THE COUP THROUGH ENERGY AND MINERALS CORRUPTION By the

Just In: Top Energy Officials Fired On Presidential Orders Over Massive Theft Of Electricity Distribution Funds

By Our Reporter Kampala: Two senior officials of Rural Electrification

Salary Scam Hits KCCA AS 29bn Is Paid To Ghost Workers

After Eng Andrew Kitata took over as the acting Executive

Go & Make Money: Gender Ministry Approves Premier Recruitment To Export Over 200 Workers

The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has approved

Kadaga Raises Eyebrows On Imported Covid-19 Cases By Truck Drivers

The Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga has tasked