City businessman Godfrey Kalule Kirumira has been embroiled in several multi-billion-shilling court cases involving property disputes for decades, often accused of unscrupulous actions.
Critics have accused Kirumira of corrupt practices, with one individual likening him to “a cancer to our society, eating away many fundamental institutions with corruption institutions that have taken the government many years to establish.”
Kirumira has reportedly used various aliases and titles, including “The Michelin Man,” “Chairman,” “Ambassador,” and “Consul for Namibia.” Additionally, his associate Andrew Mubiru, also known as “Butabika” due to his alleged erratic behavior, is frequently mentioned in connection with him.
These prolonged cases have faced numerous roadblocks. Kirumira and his lawyers Francis Ssebowa and Vennie Murangira Kasande are known for filing numerous interlocutory applications in court, delaying the hearing of the main matters.
One of the disputes involves the ownership of a school property at Bwebajja on Entebbe Road in Wakiso District, currently pending at the Court of Appeal. Kirumira is challenging a court decision that ordered him to pay damages for the fraudulent takeover of Bright Future Secondary School.
In September 2019, Justice Elizabeth Jane Alividza of the High Court’s Commercial Division ruled that Kirumira must pay Shs 200 million, with 21% interest from 2008 until the judgment date, as damages to the former proprietors Stephen Sendagire and his wife Gladys Nanyombi.
Another dispute involves a multi-million-shilling land case in Namanve, where Kirumira is engaged in a legal battle with Liberty ICD Limited over land on Plot 393, Block 113. This case has also been delayed due to numerous pending miscellaneous applications filed by Kirumira’s lawyers, which many argue are intended to prolong the matter.
It is alleged that Kirumira fabricated a narrative of acquiring a kibanja to access the plot, only to later discover that the kibanja had been “bought” from someone who died 20 years ago.
Court documents indicate that Capital Ventures International Limited borrowed Shs 400 million from Kirumira as an emergency loan, offering the title for Plot 393 Block 113 as collateral even though it was held in trust for the Uganda Investment Authority and Dubai Ports Authority.
Kirumira allegedly abused the arrangement by removing his caveat from the title and illegally transferring ownership to himself, underpaying stamp duty by paying only Shs 1.2 million instead of the estimated Shs 500 million.
The Criminal Investigations Directorate in Kibuli concluded that this was a criminal act and forwarded the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions for action.
KIBANJA AGREEMENT WITH A DEAD PERSON
Namanve residents reported that Kirumira tried to quickly sell Plot 393 Block 113 to foreign investors despite his loan being only Shs 400 million hoping for a substantial capital gain, as the land measured 85 acres.
However, the plot lacked access. Kirumira’s team, led by Andrew Mubiru, attempted to create a temporary road through private freehold land Plot 1425, Block 113 owned by Liberty ICD Ltd. They brought bulldozers at midnight, but were stopped by the police, and a case of criminal trespass was opened.
With no access to the plot, Kirumira allegedly created a fraudulent kibanja agreement and submitted it to the Mukono High Court in December 2021. He obtained an interim injunction, falsely claiming the access land was part of his kibanja.
The kibanja agreement stated that he acquired it from Galikwoleka Kasa, but according to certified National Identification and Registration Authority records, this person died 20 years ago.
The police forensic department confirmed that the handwriting and thumbprint on the agreement belonged to Stephen Mubiru, a self-identified Kirumira employee and witness to the document. Mubiru admitted on NTV that he created the document with Andrew Mubiru at Kirumira’s instruction.
LOCUS VISIT
In February 2022, Justice Batema conducted a locus visit with over 20 area residents present. Kirumira’s lawyer, Ssebowa, cited outdated cases, while the judge focused on the 2010 Kibanja Guidelines.
When asked to explain these guidelines, plaintiff counsel Dennis Nyombi, a land law specialist, remained silent and failed to represent his clients during the one-hour visit.
The land did not meet the 2010 kibanja criteria. The LC chairman confirmed that no kibanja had ever existed there. The plot, intended for industrial development, held a valid freehold title and showed no evidence such as busuulu tickets or a landlord that it was ever a kibanja.
Justice Matovu later conducted another locus visit with Liberty ICD lawyers and government officials present. Kirumira and his team did not attend.
Matovu later disclosed in court that he had received threatening WhatsApp messages regarding the visit and warned Ssebowa that the sender’s identity could be traced.
THREATS AND SURVEY RESULTS
The RDC, DPC, and Mukono security officials instructed surveyor George Musitwa to open boundaries on the disputed land. Musitwa stopped, citing threats from Kirumira’s associates.
However, the Commissioner of Mapping and Surveys in Entebbe completed the work and confirmed that there was no kibanja and that the freehold title was valid.
The Police Headquarters in Naguru allowed Liberty ICD to reoccupy and fence their land.
Kirumira sued the Attorney General and Inspector General of Police (IGP), claiming the officers acted unlawfully. He wanted six senior officers prosecuted personally.
Justice David Matovu ruled that the AG and IGP acted within their legal mandates. Kirumira’s lawyer appealed the ruling, which is pending in the Court of Appeal. Sebbowa also asked Justice Matovu to recuse himself from the case, but the judge declined, citing no valid reason.
SUITS AGAINST GOVERNMENT AND INVESTORS
While Kirumira’s cases faced delays, his associate Andrew Mubiru sued 13 investors and four government institutions, alleging illegal issuance of land titles in Namanve.
The sued institutions included the National Forestry Authority (NFA), National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), Commissioner of Land Registration, and the Attorney General.
The investors sued were:
Patel Hirii Sureshkumar
Luo Xiao Ming
Kanji Lalji Hirani
Mu-Kin Enterprises Limited
Tenghui Industrial Co-SMC Limited
Liberty ICD Limited
Narendra Kumar Vithalbhai Patel
Joseph Emoit
Gerald Godfrey Ssambwa
Firoz Rajabali
Jamani Shaahid Ramzan Ali
Redcorr Uganda Limited
The plot they sued over was not part of Plot 393 Block 113, which Kirumira claims is his kibanja. Sources say Mubiru believed canceling all industrial titles would allow Kirumira to reclaim the disputed land, but the plan failed.
A TRAIL OF ATTACKS
Kirumira’s activities have included:
Attacks on the National Forestry Authority and Commissioner of Land Registration
Attacks on the Commissioner of Mapping and Surveys in Entebbe
Fabrication of Block 561 (described as “dangerous”)
Attacks on the judiciary and individual judges
Sending threatening WhatsApp messages to judges
Alleged manipulation of Deputy DPP Edward Luyimbazi to cancel a criminal case
Attacks on Members of Parliament
Lawsuits against 14 investors and 4 government institutions
Tax evasion involving Uganda Revenue Authority.
Our efforts to speak to Kirumira to clear all these allegations by press time were futile as his well known contacts were off.
