By Spy Uganda
Kampala Affairs State Minister, Kabuye Kyofatogabye has backed Dr Sudhir Ruparelia’s development plan on Kololo SS playground land that is contested by some mafias under Kololo Senior Secondary School management.
Kabuye on Wednesday told the Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure which has kicked off investigations into the said land, that Sudhir’s plan to develop the playground into a modern sports complex is in the interest of the community because the land around the area was being sold at a fast rate and space for playing in the neighbourhood where he owns schools, was shrinking by the day.
Remember that previously Sudhir obtained relevant authorization from the Lands Ministry to secure the playground and upgrade it to a modern sports facility to retain it’s original purpose. According to plan, after completion, this facility would be accessed by both Sudhir’s schools and Kololo SS but with clear cost-sharing terms on maintenance of the facility to keep it to its desired standards.
However, some mafias against the development claimed Kololo S.S had been denied access to the facility while Sudhir’s Kampala Parents was using it, but through our inner sources in the school, we found out that this was not true. These are actually mafias hiding behind the school, whose dubious plans were neaped in the mud, the moment the ground was secured with a fence.
Previously Sudhir told the Commission of Inquiry that he followed the legal procedures provided for acquisition of a lease with guidance from the Uganda Land commission (ULC) which is the body holding trust for the land in dispute.
“In 2013, we learnt about an ongoing move between Kololo SS and a company in Denmark entering a joint venture for commercial developments. I got concerned that we were going to lose a play field which we were using as a school and I contacted my lawyers to find out the exact owner of the land comprised of the playground and they advised that it belongs to ULC,” said Mr Sudhir, admitting that the lease title acquired by Kampala Parents is restricted to the Ministry of Education and Sports (Kololo SS).
Sudhir further said that Kampala Parents School’s 2014 lease cannot be queried yet ULC holds a freehold title and reversionary powers over the land because they are restricted to only develop a sports facility.
Infact, it’s worth noting that by the time Sudhir came in to secure the playground, the entire school land had been parcelled, titled and allocated to 15 other developers including Chinese Hotel called Nainjing and housing estate Kensington Africa Limited among others.
“I applied through the normal procedure and it was within the powers of ULC to grant the lease and our intention is to establish a world class facility because of the requirements like power, water and sanitation as well as human resource,” Sudhir said dismissing allegations that he is set to establish a commercial complex.
