Owino (St. Balikuddembe) vendors claim Godfrey Kayongo misappropriated their money

March 3, 2021 TheDrone

By Jeremiah Kaniampiha

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has taken over the management of the St. Balikuddembe (Owino) Market. As it is, Kayongo reportedly told/lied vendors that they were buying the market; yet it was his company ( St. Balikuddembe Market Stalls, Space and Lock-Up Shop Owners Association (SSLOA), which bought the land in Kayongo’s names.

Information available in the market indicates the new leaders are resenting the markets union. They are the ones who told the media they are demanding their money from Markets Union General Secretary Godfrey Kayongo.

Fresh reports confirm that KCCA has finally taken over St. Balikuddembe (Owino) Market. Heavy deployment of police and Military besieged the market today as KCCA took over the management of the market. The leaders of the market led by the Markets Union General Secretary Godfrey Kayongo, have been overthrown in a bloodless coup d’etat .

Market vendors who talked to the media said they want their money contributed for the development and ownership of the market, refunded. They threatened to take legal action against market leaders whom they accuse of duping them. The construction of the Balikuddembe market followed a bank loan.

IN CIVIL SUIT NO. 353 OF 2018 ST. BALIKUDDEMBE MARKET STALLS, SPACE AND LOCK-UP SHOP OWNERS ASSOCIATION LTD (SSLOA) VERSUS KAMPALA CAPITAL CITY AUTHORITY BEFORE HON. JUSTICE SSEKAANA MUSA

The JUDGMENT was:

The plaintiff and the defendant entered into a consent judgment on 19^th February 2010 vide High Court Civil Suit No. 947 of 2001 after the defendant represented that it owned all the land that houses St Balikuddembe Market (Owino) and undertook to grant a lease of the land to the plaintiff.

On the basis of the consent order, the defendant, by its Contracts Committee meeting of 3/02/2010 under Min. KDCC 4/51/2010, billed the Plaintiff a premium of UGX. 4,000,000,000/= payable in advance and UGX. 200,000,000/= as Ground Rent per annum. The total sum of UGX 4,200,000,000/= was paid in one lump sum in consideration for the lease of plots 24 B, 24 C, M584, M582, M583, and M585.