After city lawyer loses 714 Hectares land case, depressed Lyantonde residents set to pay 2.5 Billion in legal fees.
Following city business mogul Ben Kavuya’s victory in the Court of Appeal that saved over 400 Hectares of his commercial farmland, a 2.5Billion shillings bill of costs has been delivered to Court of Appeal that the Kabula, Lyantonde residents will have to pay.
In its ruling, Civil Appeal No. 224 of 2021, a panel of three justices from the Court of Appeal, Justices Christopher Madrama, Irene Mulyagonja and Cheborion Barishaki overturned a previous High Court decision that would have seen the mogul lose 714 Hectares, that include his upcountry home and commercial farm.
Mr. Kavuya was defended by Hon Mwesigwa Rukutana whilst the Lyantonde residents were represented by city lawyer, Rwalinda Godfrey. It is Mr. Rwalinda that lost the court case and now his Lyantonde clients have to foot billions in legal costs.
In what has been described as a ‘Lawyer driven’ litigation, owing to the alleged touting to innocent and unsuspecting Lyantonde residents – a court case that would harvest billions of shillings in settlement, the residents now have to contend with the massive task of finding 2,503,780,535 to pay the legal fees in the case.
In documents presented to the Court of Appeal, Kavuya’s lawyers filed for a bill of costs against the party that lost the case, namely; Byaruhanga Kasirye and Godfrey Kato as the administrator of the estate of the late Bulasio Kamanzi; and James Nzabamwita and James Rebero as administrators of the estate of the late Gelvas Nyiringabo. Others are Edward Rutaaba, Robert Kamunini and Yosam Mugisha as administrators of the estate of the late Samwiri Rwitirinya.
Mr. Ben Kavuya had previously purchased 714Hectares in 1994 and consequently went to develop it as a commercial farm and upcountry home.
In 2015, its reported that City Lawyer Rwalinda Jambo Godfrey, Jambo & Company Advocates, travelled to Lyantondde and convinced the residents there that their land had been encroached upon.
It remains to be seen how the Lyandonde residents, whose economic activity is mostly subsistence farming, will pay the 2.5billion bill of costs.
An established Entrepreneur & business mogul, Mr. Kavuya has always sought to contribute to the social and economic development of Lyantondde district. In 2018, in a function presided over by the then Vice President, H.E Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, Mr. Kavuya donated a Health Cente 3 to Lyantondde, to supplement the Government’s efforts to improve health service delivery.
Relatedly Mr. Kavuya built and donated another health centre 3 facility in Kebisoni, Rukungiri district in a deliberate effort to bring closer, health services in Western Uganda.
Mr. Ben Kavuya is the Chairman of East African Medical Vitals, Africa’s 1st surgical and medical gloves manufacturing factory. A Ugandan company that manufactures high quality, latex, powder-free medical gloves (examination and surgical), vital medical consumables in health facilities.
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