Fear and anxiety have erupted in the lakeside part of Entebbe, after the former municipality mayor Mr. Stephen Kabuye expressed determination to evict a popular hangout- Spennah beach from its current premises.
The intended move follows a protracted misunderstanding between Mr. Kabuye and Mr. John Asiimwe- the beach proprietor, which led to a protracted legal battle that raged for some years.
According to court documents, the two parties first entered into a Landlord-tenancy agreement in April 2017 before they developed bad blood in the year 2020.
Mr. Kabuye under Peniel beach hotel Ltd who, in the agreement is referred to as the landlord rented out the sand beach to Mr. Asiimwe at US$2,400 (over shs9m) per month.
In the turn of events, he wrote to the purported tenant, wishing to terminate the tenancy before the expiry of the contract. The former mayor cited, among other others, breach of the agreement before Mr. Asiimwe took the matter to court, resulting in a cold war.
Come in Jafar
The land which is reported to be measuring up to 0.645 hectares, is said to have been sold by the former mayor Kabuye, to an Indian Jaffer Azhar Ali, the manager of Fairway hotel. “And you can’t imagine, the Indian holds a Freehold land title which is against the laws of Uganda,” intimated a source at court, who preferred to remain anonymous.
Another source privy to the matter explained that Jafar first bought land at the former ‘Nameless Beach‘ which is situated between Lido beach and Spennah beach. “He wished to construct a hotel but was barred by Aviation authorities saying the construction could jeopardise flight movements,” revealed a source.
“So, instead if refunding Jafar’s money, Mr. Kabuye opted to chase Asiimwe away from the Spennah beach site, in order to pave way for the Indian,” added the source.
Jafar responds
When contacted about the matter, Jafar explained; “that guy of Spennah beach is trying to grab the land. So, Stephen (Kabuye) is trying to remove him from the property by following the law. The tenancy agreement has elapsed in August 2022 and still, Spennah is refusing to vacate the property. The IGP office is aware and has written to Entebbe police to assist in removing them,” Jafar explained.
What authorities say
There has however, not been any court document seen by this outlet, ordering for the eviction of Spennah beach. Whereas sources in the Entebbe RDC’s office confirmed knowledge of the matter, they could not confirm the said IGP’s letter.
“The RDC can effect eviction following a court order or after meeting both parties, in this case, which has not yet been done,” expressed a source at Entebbe RDC’s office.
Other documents indicate that Spennah beach was granted a five-year operational permit by Entebbe municipal council which is meant to expire in April 2023. The beach’s structural plans were also approved by the municipal authorities in May 2021.
Meanwhile, a letter from the office of the Senior Assistant town clerk written last month, indicates that Entebbe municipal council is a landlord of the said location where the beach is situated, considering it a public land.
However, in the turn of events, another letter was written by Mr. Charles Magumba, the municipality town clerk refuting ownership of the same land.
Mr. Kabuye, the former Entebbe municipality mayor avers that the tenancy agreement for Spennah beach has since lapsed, hence demanding the proprietors to vacate.
Mr. Asiimwe on the other hand, wonders how the former mayor was able to acquire land titles on lake Victoria shorelines among other “would-be public spaces.”
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