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NRM shifts Namisindwa office over failure to pay rent
Mr Emmanuel Dombo, the director communications at the NRM secretariat acknowledged the debt and said the matter is being sorted. PHOTO/ FILE
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party offices in Namisindwa District have been shifted to a technical school in Namisindwa Town council over failure to pay rent.
Mr Sulaiman Nakhabala, the landlord, said the party has taken 35 months without paying the rent, which has accumulated to Shs3.5 million.
He told this publication that on August 04, 2017 they entered into a tenancy agreement where they agreed to rent out his house in Musimbi cell, Namisindwa Town council at a monthly fee of Shs100,000, but he has never received any money to that effect.
“I demand them from 2017 up to date. It’s now 35 months but they have never paid me a single coin,” Mr Nakhabala said.
He said the party has made several agreements to settle the debt but all this has been in vain.
Mr Nakhabala says he has been forced to drag the party to Mbale High Court hoping the court can compel them to pay him his money.
He said after dragging them to court, the party immediately shifted its office to the technical school where they are currently operating from.
Emmannet Court bailiffs and auctioneers, on behalf of their client, wrote to the party secretary general, demanding rent arrears of Shs3.5m.
“We received instructions from the aforementioned client on whose behalf we address. On August 04, 2017, our client rented out office space to NRM Namisindwa District at an agreed rent fee of Shs100, 000 per month. On the November 07, 2018, NRM Namisindwa wrote to Director Finance who instructed that payments be made by December 31, 2018, but to date our client has never been paid any money,” the demand letter reads in part.
“The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to demand the accumulated rent arrear of Shs3.5m plus Shs300, 000 for this notice. Failure to pay within 14 days after receiving this notice then we shall advise our client to file a suit for recovery of the same,” the letter further reads.
Daily Monitor has seen a copy of which, the former district NRM registrar, Mr Wycliff Kitana, wrote to the party secretariat, asking the party them to clear arrears.
“I wish to inform your office that since Namisindwa District was created from the mother district of Manafwa, nothing has been paid to the landlord. The landlord has closed up his house and I am operating from somebody’s verandah in the district,” Mr Kitana said in the letter.
The Namisindwa District NRM Chairperson, Mr Aramanzan Wabuko acknowledged the debt, saying they are going to sort it out.
“It’s true we have not paid rent but it’s administrative and we are handling it. It’s now a court case because they gave NRM secretariat the intention to sue,” he said.
Mr Wabuko said they are going to have a meeting to solve the matter as soon as possible.
“As NRM party we are having challenges but the party secretariat is handling,” he said.
The director communications at the NRM secretariat, Mr Emmanuel Dombo also acknowledged the debt.
“Am aware that we have had rent arrears in some of our up country offices. The Secretary General of the party had that matter discussed in the Central Executive Committee (CEC) and very soon the problem will be sorted out,” Mr Dombo said.
