CORRUPTION: Chamber of Commerce bosses sell property, members run to IGG

A section of members at the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UNCCI) have run to the Inspector General of Government (IGG) and Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) accusing some of their bosses of illegally presiding over the sale of the chamber’s prime properties in the city.

UNCCI is headed by Olive Kigongo, wife to the NRM Vice Chairperson, Hajji Moses Kigongo.

They talk about the curious sale of a property particularized as Plot 1A Kira Road Mulago where the Chamber’s headquarters used to be housed.

“Some co-opted board members presided over the sale of these properties without following Public Procurement & Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) guidelines such as gazetting and selecting the highest bidder,” the complaint to the IGG and CID reads in part.

“The estimated loss on the sale of these properties is estimated at UGX12.7bn. This includes the sale of properties at Nakivubo, Johnson Street, Lira, Buziga, Natete, Kanjokya among others.”

The complaint is registered as GEF136/2024 abuse of office at Kira Road Police Station and the war to burst this racket is led by the Chairperson of Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mbale City, Barnabas Kisa.

The battle to investigate the chamber bosses was sparked off by the sale of the chamber headquarters on Plot1A Kira Road, Mulago at $1.2m (roughly UGX4.5bn). However, in the complaint to CID, IGG and State House, Kisa alleges that only $800,000 (roughly 3.1bn) was declared.

The irregularities forced some imminent board members; Mrs. Margret Sekidde of Seroma Enterprise and Lady Charlotte of Centenary Park to resign.

Saying enough is enough, they now want the office of the IGG and that of State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) to come to the rescue and save UNCCI’s sinking boat.

According to information obtained, morale is low at the Chamber and the atmosphere is toxic. The most aggrieved is a section of District/City chairpersons.

The UNCCI governance structure includes 10 regional offices and branch offices at every district all over Uganda.

The Chamber District/City Chairpersons now demand for elections after 22 years of Olive Kigongo’s tenure.

“We want the President Olive Kigongo and the Board members to account for selling Plot 1A Kira Road Mulago, the former headquarters and other properties of the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry,” Kisa said in the complaint to IGG.

The members have gone ahead and reported their President Olive Kigongo and the Board members to the office of the State House Anti-corruption Unit for abuse of office and corruption.

“Our primary concern is to revive and rebuild the chamber to serve the interests of the business community Countrywide,” the complainants add.

22 years ago, Olive Kigongo became the first female elected president of Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry replacing the late Boney Katatumba.

That whereas the constitution says the leadership of the organization is chosen through a vote at an annual general meeting once every five years, they claim this has never happened and board members are accomplices.

“We demand for elections and resignation of the Chamber president and the Board members. We have witnessed a decline in chamber activities and mobilization of the business community Countrywide,” they allege.

Whistleblowers also raise concerns about management and operations including lack of transparency and accountability to the members’ money or cash donations from partner organizations, proceeds from the Chamber’s property sales and allocation.

The IGG office has been contacted for a comment and the spokesperson at the Ombudsman Ali Munira confirmed the developments to the media.

“We have received the complaint, we will study it and investigations are going to commence,” Munira said on Thursday in the local media.

UNCCI is the oldest nationwide umbrella organization for the private sector in Uganda.

Her main objective is to promote and protect the interests of the business community, particularly its members who are represented in all sectors of the economy.

The various sectors include internal and external trade, industry, tourism and, transport, services.

The Chamber boasts a network of district Chamber branches that cut across all regions in over 126 districts.

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