The High court has halted the planned compensation of Shs 3.8 billion to city businessman Dodovodiko Mwanje, on whose orders, the structures of St Peters Church of Uganda in Ndeeba, were demolished.
Principal judge Flavian Zeija made the ruling on Monday noting that the said compensation be stayed until the main suit in which Mwanje claimed ownership of the land is determined.
In February 2021, the government presented to parliament a supplementary budget to among other things, to aid the compulsory acquisition of land of the Ndeeba Church of Uganda which was razed down in 2020. Although parliament had queried the move, an ad hoc committee on land compensation led by Veronica Eragu Bichetero later sanctioned the payment of Shs 3.8 billion to Dodoviko.
However, Lucy Nsubuga, the widow of late Bishop Dunstan Nsubuga, ran to court seeking orders to halt the payment pending the hearing and final disposal of the suit in which she is challenging the ownership of the land. In an application through her lawyer Jamir Mpiima, Nsubuga said that parliament decided the payment in total disregard of her grievances regarding the judgment of the High court which resulted in the transfer of ownership of land comprising Kibuga block 7 plot 39 land at Mengo to Mwanje.
Nsubuga noted that the court decision by the land division judge John Eudes Keitirima was based on false information fabricated by a city lawyer Ambrose Tebyasa who claimed to have received instruction from her. The said court decision gave the ownership of the land that had housed St Peter's Ndeeba Church of Uganda for 50 years to the joint administrator of the estate of the late Evelyn Nacwa, a Buganda kingdom princess, who later sold it to Dodoviko's Ephraim enterprises.
Mpiima also adds that if Dodoviko is awarded the compensation money, the development might affect the matters in the main suit thus affecting the interests of his client.
Meanwhile, Dodoviko welcomes the court decision which has stayed the compensation. He notes that the ongoing process was oppressing him as the government was forcefully acquiring his lawful property at a lower value in face of all the losses he has incurred.
Besides this particular matter at hand, Dodoviko together with 18 others is still facing criminal charges related to the theft of church property valued at more than Shs 850 million and conspiracy to demolish it. This particular case is still pending before the Anti-Corruption court.
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