House contractor agrees to pay Shs250m to judge for shoddy work
The plaintiff, Justice Lydia Mugambe
What you need to know:
- According to the final settlement, it was agreed that Mr Kayita pays Shs80m upon execution of the agreement, then pays in two equal installments of Shs85m by February 18 next year and the last one in April 30.
A housing contractor has agreed to pay Shs250m in damages to Justice Lydia Mugambe Ssali after he was found liable to doing shoddy works on a condominium apartments belonging to the High Court judge.
In a November 3 revised settlement, the contractor, Mr James Kayita, agreed to pay Justice Mugambe in three installments.
According to the final settlement, it was agreed that Mr Kayita pays Shs80m upon execution of the agreement, then pays in two equal installments of Shs85m by February 18 next year and the last one in April 30.
Mr Kayita, and his Hallmark Construction and Painting Company, was fined for “reckless and hazardous” work done on Justice Mugambe’s 10-apartment block in Bweyogerere, Kiira Division during the finishing stage.
In his ruling in August, Kampala High Court judge Musa Ssekaana held that there was evidence showing cracked wall plaster, plaster peeling off the walls, cracked ceiling plaster, cracked ceiling cornices, defective door frames and unlevelled floor tiles or damaged floor tiles, among others damages on the apartment.
“This is also evidence of negligently performing the construction works which can be faulted on the defendants (contractor) jointly and severely,” held Justice Ssekaana.
“This court would not encourage reckless and hazardous as well as economically inefficient behaviours on the part of the defendants (contractor) as this would appear to condone unskilled personnel in the construction industry, which may lead to loss of life and property in future due to collapsing buildings in Uganda,” he added.
Justice Ssekaana fined the contractor Shs225m as general damages and Shs27m as special damages, bringing the total fines to Shs252m.
The court also awarded an interest of 15 percent on the special damages from the date of filing and 20 percent, was awarded on the general damages from the date of judgment.
Justice Mugambe had sued the contractor in 2016, contending that she had used extra money to rectify the shoddy work.
She had paid the contractor Shs320m out of the Shs450m he had asked for the finishing works.
