By Spy Uganda
High Court’s Deputy Registrar, Flavia Nabakooza has summoned former Prime Minister and presidential candidate Patrick Amama Mbabazi over failure to clear rent arrears of about UGX26 million.
Mbabazi was dragged to Court by former East Africa Community (EAC) legislator Hon Yona Kanyomozi, the landlord of the office building which housed the offices of his ‘Go Forward’ political party during the 2016 campaigns.
“You are hereby required to file a defence in the said suit within fifteen (15) days from the date of service of summons on you in the manner prescribed under Order 9 Rule 1 Civil Procedures Rules. Should you fail to file a defence on or before the date mentioned, the plaintiff may proceed with the suit and judgment may be given in your absence,” reads the summon.
Background Of The Matter
In the year 2015, Kanyomozi and Mbabazi entered into an unwritten tenancy agreement with an agreed monthly fee of USD5,000.
The said office space rented out to Amama Mbabazi for his political activities is located on Plot 29 Nakasero, Kampala.
According to Kanyomozi’s lawyers of M/S Anguria and Co. Advocates, Mbabazi agreed to pay a monthly rent of $5,000 and made a down payment for 6 months totalling $30,000, which was supposed to last through December 2015.
“Defendant took possession and occupied the Plaintiff’s property from the 1 of August 2015, and continued to use the same as the head-office of Go Forward during his Presidential campaigns of 2015/2016,” reads part of the suit before Court.
“Despite the expiry of the Defendant period of occupation paid for, he continued to occupy the Plaintiff property for an additional period of four months, that is, from January to April 2016, without complying with the terms of the Tenancy Agreement.”
“After the first deposit, Defendant started becoming uncooperative, avoiding Plaintiff and paying rent in insignificant fractions despite numerous demands and reminders from Plaintiff,” it adds.
Kanyomozi says that up to October 2021, he had received only $ 39,992 (out of the total of $47,500), leaving an outstanding balance of $7,508.
Through the years, the plaintiff says he has personally and through his lawyers sent reminders to Hon Mbabazi for the rent arrears but got no positive response.
“To date, Defendant remains in default of rent worth USD7,507 and all efforts by Plaintiff to resolve the issue have proved futile as Defendant has purposefully denied him audience.”
Now, in the lawsuit, Kanyomozi is seeking orders for the former Prime Minister to be compelled to clear the rent arrears of $7,507 with interest.
Kanyomozi also wants Mbabazi to pay him a sum of $20,000 as general damages, as well as costs for the suit.
Meanwhile, by the time we published this, Rt.Hon.Amama Mbabazi had not responded to our messages over the above.
