Court orders auction of Kabale district vehicles over Shs 61m debt
- Written by URN
One of the attached vehicles
Kabale Chief Magistrate's court has attached three vehicles belonging to Kabale district local government for auctioning after the district failed to pay Shs 60.7 million to a contractor.
The vehicles facing auction are attached to the office of the LC V chairperson, district education officer, and district chief finance officer. In the 2004/2005 financial year, the district contracted Ibumba KB Services to construct footbridges in Rwamucucu and Kashambya sub-counties to ease the movement of locals.
The two sub-counties are under Rukiga district after it was curved out of Kabale in July 2017. The footbridge that connects the Habweera-Ntaraga market to Kitunga-Kabira and Ngoma in Kasyambya sub-county was awarded at a cost of Shs 36 million while the one connecting Rushebeya to Rwanjura, Burime, Kirundwe, Kihorezo and Nyakagabagaba in Rwamucucu sub-county was contracted at Shs 45 million.
After the completion of the works, the bridges were commissioned by the then Kabale LC V chairperson Edison Kakuru and Sam Katehangwa, chief administrative officer.
But, Benon Kabagambe, director of Ibumba KB services argues that the district only paid for works for the bridge in Rwamucucu sub-county and did not pay for the Kasyambya bridge. Kabagambe says that after demanding for pay in vain, in 2013, they opted to seek legal redress.
Richard Muhanguzi of T/AM/S Murambi Auctioneers and Bailiffs, says that in 2021, the Magistrate’s court ruled in favour of Kabagambe and ordered that he be paid, but the district remained defiant. Muhanguzi says that his company has now secured an order from Kabale Chief Magistrate’s court ordering the impounding of the three vehicles for auctioning.
According to the court order, the vehicle attached to the office of the LC V chairperson should be sold by auction at Shs 18.2 million, the one belonging to the district education officer at Shs 21.2 million, and the other belonging to the chief finance officer at Shs 21.3 million.
Fred Kalyesubula, the chief administrative officer says that the district has received the court order and it is still being analyzed. He adds that they have requested a grace period of two weeks to study the matter.
Comments
They are told off about their mismanagement, their corruption, and their many other inequities, but they do not want to know! Such chriticism goes into the right ear and then out it goes through the left ear!