A row is brewing between members of the Banyakigezi Elders Forum (BEF) over expenditure of money that they received from President Yoweri Museveni.
President Museveni gave out Shs 1billion to the group to thank them for mediating talks between him and former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi.
Some of the group members who spoke confidentially to ChimpReports said President Museveni gave them the money to help them find a home for the forum and also to establish a cultural centre that would be used to do research on Bakiga culture.
Shs 350Million of this money was used to buy a house, which is now at the centre of the clash between the members.
The building that is located along the Kabale Main Street houses a radio station and several businesses.
However, there are now claims that some of the top leaders of the forum have connived to sell off the house on Plot 159 Kabale Road to settle their personal financial challenges.
Some members of the trustee have since petitioned the State House Anti-Corruption Unit asking Lt Col Edith Nakalema to investigate five members who have allegedly sold the house at Ugx 250m.
The complainants have named those involved in selling the house as Bishop Enock Kayeye, the forum’s chairperson, Prof Peter Baguma (treasurer), Rev Geoffrey Byarugaba (secretary) and two trustees only identified one Kihirita and Muhereza.
“Sadly, the building is being sold fraudulently for Shs250m only, making a loss of Shs100m for no good reason. We request your quick intervention to stop the fraudulent sale of this important building which is in an advanced stage” a July 17 letter reads in part.
Don Wanyama the senior Presidential press secretary confirmed receipt of the complaint and said it was recommended that a caveat be put on the property to stop the buyer from taking over.
“The complaint came to us. It was looked at and recommendations were made that a caveat be put on the property. The RDC (Resident District Commissioner) Kabale also promised to follow up and also run radio adverts advising the public not to buy the property,” Wanyama said.
Bishop Kayeye was not available for a comment because he was not “feeling well,” a woman, who picked the call and identified herself as his wife, said.
Meanwhile, Prof Baguma confirmed that the house had been sold following a decision taken in the meeting of trustees to pay for the loans they had accumulated.
He said due to the pressure of their creditors they had to sell the house to the highest bidder.
He said the recommendation by the Anti-Corruption Unit may not work because the trustees are in the process of transferring the property to the buyer whom he declined to name.
“Let them put a caveat if they have the powers to do so because these are not individual decisions. If they help us to recover the debts, there will be no problem,” he said.
