The Mbarara City North legislator Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari who doubles as Chairman of the East African Procurement News Company Limited – a sister company of AMPROC INC, is implicated yet in another scandal as Mbarara district leaders accuse him for illegally erecting a telecommunication mast on the district land.
This mast is under his American Procurement Company Inc (AMPROC Inc) at Bonastore opposite Kakyeka playground in Mbarara city where locals have also expressed health-related concerns over this mast, and asked the National Environment Management Authority-NEMA and other authorities to intervene.
Leaders including the LC 5 Chairman Mbarara district local government Didas Tabaro and councillors say he has done this without the consent from the district as his landlord, and the current developments are not part of the tenant agreement he signed with the district.
Deep sources have it clear that Rukaari has been pushing for a lease to secure where to erect these masts but the process has dragged on following an order from the Local Government ministry to halt leasing of government properties. He must get clearance from the ministry.
“Before any district tenant puts up any permanent structure he or she must follow due processes and a valuation from the Ministry and then Council can also determine what to do,” Mbarara district LC 5 Chairman Didas Tabaro.
“What exactly is bringing confusion is how the tenant (AMPROC) constructed a permanent mast on district land without consulting the district [the landlord],” Tabaro added.
“Why should you put a mast on a property you have not yet acquired? Rukaari did not duly consult us. Rukaari is my personal friend but things to do with public property there will be no relationship. Let him follow the right procedures,” Tabaro wondered.
BACKGORUNG & COURT BATTLES. Tabaro also added that Rukaari signed a tenant agreement in 2011 which is still valid, but all he needs to do is to get clearance from the Local Government ministry to set up other structures.
“We are going to take the due processes because we don’t want to be caught off guard. I am going to write to the Minister of local government for guidance and once that guidance is given we shall sit as council to chat a way forward. But I want to caution all tenants of the district that you must follow what is in the tenancy agreement or else we shall run after you,” Tabaro wondered.
Juliet Nabakooza, the Mbarara District Vice Chairperson said AMPROC may end up occupying the district land forever and that’s why they are out to stop them.
“The process of leasing the land was not complete, now we see them construct some structures like a Mast which we have no knowledge about as landlords. We have not had any agreement or an MOU that we leased him out that land and he claims that he has it. If he has the documents of that MOU why doesn’t he come and present it to us? And if anything, let’s assume that we leased him the land we are supposed to know every activity that is being done. We want the PS or the minister to intervene and we conclude this matter from here not by calling Rukaari in their offices where we may not reach as Councilors,” said Nabakooza.
In 2017, a section of councillors from the previous Council of Mbarara District stormed AMPROC premises demanding an explanation why Rukaari had delayed to pay rent arrears totaling to UGX255 million. This matter was resolved from the courts of law and Rukaari was able to pay this money in installments until the debt was completed.
Meanwhile, There is escalating public criticism against Rukaari over what the locals have called “absence on ground” with some asking him to resign, which may negatively affect his support if he seeks a second term in 2026.
Rukaari was recently accused by his constituency local leaders including councilors for not working jointly with them which has left many gaps in service delivery, and the division even failed to recover over 100 million in revenue due to his poor oversight.
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