MELTDOWN! From owning schools, varsities, plazas…fat govt job… here’s why tycoon Higenyi Jaala’s empire is crumbling

**Mzee Higenyi drives vehicles with personalized number plates labeled ‘NAMUSWA**

As things stand now, Mzee Alfred Higenyi Jaala, formerly nicknamed ‘Mwenepesa or Mwene Mbiye’ meaning in Lunyole ‘the owner of money’, is on verge of losing one of his last empires—Namuswa plaza located just opposite Makerere University small gate when you use the University hall entrance. It is particularized as block 38 plots 298 and 299 at Kagugube.

And the financial institution behind all this is Equity Bank. Mzee Higenyi is now begging President Museveni to come to his rescue but watchers say it may be late.

This publication understands that when Mzee Higenyi prematurely retired from government service, he invested in several properties, most of them in Kampala and Butaleja / Bunyole. He used to be an Accountant in the Ministry of Education and later defence.

Word has it that things are not good for Mzee Higenyi now. That a man who used to drop sacks of rice, sugar etc at each of his four wives residences, now drops buveras of 1 -5 kgs, got at times on credit from shops.

He is now so stressed to the worry of his associates, his family and sympathizers, that in seventies, he may not live much longer due to financial stress.

WEALTH MELTDOWN

Mzee Higenyi used to own Lugazi University. This was later bought by the Ministry of Defense at about Shs12 billion to clear a loan of about Shs10bn.

He also used to own Ntinda View College in Kulambiro, Kisasi. This was later bought by St. Mary’s Kitende school boss Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa when it had indebtedness of about Shs19 billion. The deal also reportedly involved swaps. Mulindwa took the school, paid off Mzee Higenyi’s debt, and also gave him the unfinished Namuswa plaza(which Equity bank is now taking over) plus some Shs800 million. Mzee Higenyi would later use this building to secure a loan facility from Equity Bank.

WHAT WENT WRONG

In the novel, “Things Fall Apart”, by famous Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, the author uses two characters Unoka and Okonkwo. The former is the latter’s father.

Unoka always brought a great deal of shame to Okonkwo and to his family as a whole, due to his constant laziness and refusal to work. Unoka was looked down upon by Okonkwo who was “ashamed of him,” and wanted to be nothing like his father in any way. Okonkwo strives to be a better person than Unoka ever was or would be.

Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, however, had an easygoing philosophy about life. The basic premise of Unoka’s life philosophy was this: a person must take full advantage of life while still alive.

He [Unoka] always said that whenever he saw a dead man’s mouth he saw the folly of not eating what one had in one’s lifetime and that’s why he lived a very carefree life in “Things Fall Apart”.

Unoka believed that too many people did not enjoy life and ended up wasting it. “Eating what one had in one’s lifetime” is not simply food but any pleasures that life has to offer.

Now, friends, associates, and contemporaries are sure that Mzee Higenyi is following the same philosophy. In their view, the current financial woes are a result of striving to eat enough and enjoying life to its fullest—over generosity to women and living an extravagant life. Since the properties are usually bought when they are at the verge of auction sale, he usually gets a very lower price compared to their actual market value.

We have learnt that Mzee Higenyi used most of the loan he secured from Equity to buy a house for his new wife who is No.4 and a Muganda staying in Ntinda.

This young lady used to be in a mobile money kiosk where Mzee Higenyi used to park and do his mobile money transactions but later picked interest in her and after a few road tests took her for good. He found her with two children, each of a different man. He has since gotten two sons out of her. She is now 28 years old and he is in seventies.

His No.3 wife is a Japadhola / Mudama now 38 years old with 7 younger children in primary schools. Most of the several children of wife No. 1, a mukiga, and No. 2, a Munyole have since graduated. Mzee Higenyi drives vehicles with personalized number plates labeled ‘NAMUSWA’ because he reportedly got the 3rd wife from one of his secondary schools. He was nicknamed NAMUSWA because of the Kiganda saying that Namuswa alya ku nswa ze, or man eats where he works.

Already with so many children from wives No. 1, 2 & 3, Mzee Higenyi is still siring children from women younger than his children from wives No. 1 and 2. Most of his prey are younger than the wives of his sons from his wives No. 1 and 2. (DO YOU HAVE A HOT STORY (CHEATERS, DIVORCE, VIDEOS, CORRUPTION, LAND WRANGLES, EXPOSES …ETAL) YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PUBLISH? CALL/TEXT/WHATSAPP 0777959024 OR EMAIL redpeppertips@gmail.com)