By Otim Nape
The flamboyant Masaka LCV Chairman Jude Mbabali, who is also one of the prominent lawyers in DP, has vehemently denied allegations by ex-Ndeeba Councilor James Sekidde that he is a fraudster. Besides politics, Sekidde is a long term market vendor who a few years ago led over 30,000 Ndeeba market vendors to commence civil proceedings against KCCA for wrongfully demolishing their market to pave way for an ambitious railway project that never saw light of day. Sekidde and a one Fred Kazibwe, his predecessor as area councilor, went to court rightly claiming KCCA had no power to demolish their market without their consent and compensation because the land doesn’t belong to KCCA. Court discovered that indeed KCCA had no right whatsoever on this market land. It’s on record that prior to the demolition, that was so violent and caused wide spread condemnation regarding the brutality KCCA enforcement officers exhibited, KCCA ED Jennifer Musisi had been prudently advised by Legal Director Micheal Okuo and Director Physical Planning to abandon the planned demolition. The grounds for this advice were that the land didn’t belong to KCCA and secondly the vendors hadn’t been given prior adequate notice. All this was ignored and when their market was demolished, the aggrieved vendors mandated Sekidde and Kazibwe to sue on their behalf.
SUCCESFUL LITIGATION:
The Sekiddes won the case and this naturally entitled them to costs and damages. Originally Mbabali, who is a staunch DP and catholic just like Sekidde, was the lawyer for the group but quit the case midway. He tells this news website that he quit to be able to concentrate on his campaigns for Masaka LC5 Chairmanship. “I was removed from that case and they got another lawyer. So I don’t know what happened thereafter,” Mbabali told this news website when asked to respond to claims that he connived to defraud his clients.
Sekidde, who personally approached Mbabali and gave him instructions on behalf of the other vendors, says Mbabali abused the fiduciary relationship guided by trust that must ideally exist between a lawyer and his clients. “I thought being a fellow DP and fellow catholic he would be the best lawyer in this case but he defrauded me and I was surprised. Whereas we are yet to get the real damages [Shs32bn] that court awarded us, Shs220m was got from the KCCA bank account using the garnishee order. That ka man [he called him so] Jude Mbabali and James Mungooma manipulated my colleague Fred Kazibwe and sidelined me when the Shs220m came. It was for costs which KCCA had to pay us for what we had incurred prosecuting the case in court. I was surprised my fellow DP and fellow catholic Mbabali didn’t remember me when money came,” a tearful Sekidde furiously told this news website. “They avoided me during that period and this is how they shared the money; there is a lady called Hajjat of Kawempe who used to finance the case; they gave her Shs20m; Kazibwe got Shs35m; Mbabali Shs30m and Mungooma took Shs120m. I wonder why Mbabali, who was called from the campaign to come for his share, didn’t ask that where is my brother Sekidde? That day I realized and confirmed what I had been told earlier about why DP guys were becoming lawyers. It’s their conspiracy to become rich while the rest of us fellow DPs languish in abject poverty. Mbabali confirmed that to me. I told him but I’m your boss. It’s me to receive the money and pay you what you have worked for and not the other way round.” Sekidde says he became very frustrated and almost killed himself. “They started spreading rumors that I had got the billions from KCCA and this incited the vendors to denounce me yet I’m innocent. I had to go to Law Council to report against these two lawyers but the guys there asked for many documents which I didn’t have. I decided to report to CIID headquarters Kibuli because I wanted quick solutions to clear my name to the vendors,” said Sekidde a renowned DP veteran of the anti-Museveni struggle.
He famously pioneered the business of calling into radio talk shows to de-campaign Museveni and it was Mama Phina and Mzee Hudson Senkayi, an aide in Museveni’s office that used to counter him for the NRM. Sekidde reigned as a chief radio caller through the late 1990s into the mid-2000s when he quit to concentrate on politics after being elected Ndeeba Councilor at Rubaga Division. His contemporaries were Dominic Matovu, Bukenya Church Ambrose and Sentamu Sewandagi. It’s Sekidde who gave way to the Lubakyooyas and Makolo Kavuma’s of today. They carried on what he started along with Mama Phina, Kazibwe Fred, Muwanga Lutaaya and others. “My brother you know my background as a relentless fighter. I assure you I will not rest until Mbabali and Mungooma have been brought to book. Their accomplice Kazibwe Fred must also pay for his sins. I must ensure these 30,000 vendors get justice,” he said adding that he is planning to use the DPP file once the trio’s criminal prosecution commences to return the matter to Law Council. “I have been told there is a lot of corruption at Law Council but I remain hopeful I can get a remedy from there against these two lawyers.” After investigations, which Mbabali confirmed being aware of, CIID headquarters sent the file to DPP where Sekidde says it has been for some time being perused whereafter the matter could proceed to court with Mbabali, Mungooma and Kazibwe being the accused persons. Sekidde is the complainant and he says has tried to reconcile with Mbabali through DP elders but he is now frustrated with limited progress.
I’M INNOCENT-MBABALI
But Mbabali says Sekidde is angry at a wrong person “because I was removed from the case by those very people saying I was too busy with the Masaka campaigns; I left them in peace and I don’t know how the terms on which they got another lawyer to finish what I had started.” Mbabali also implores Sekidde to remember the matter was probono; meaning he represented them free of charge as they had no money, a fact Sekidde testifies to. Apparently they resorted to Mbabali after failing to raise the monies other lawyers were demanding. Sekidde in a way exonerates Mbabali admitting they got Mungooma on their own and wasn’t recommended to them by Mbabali. “What I blame him for is not alerting me when the guys were meeting to share the loot… We shall prevail because even State House is involved. We have a letter the President wrote directing KCCA to expeditiously pay us so that vendors can once again have a livelihood. I’m doing all this not because I like my brother Mbabali less. No. It’s because I love these 30,000 vendors more. They are my people and they mean a lot to me,” said Sekidde currently represented by lawyer Tayebwa who operates at Mwesigwa Rukutana’s Millennium Chambers in Najjanankumbi. “He is an old friend who has always represented me in political cases and I now regret how I forgot about him and went for Mbabali because he was a fellow Catholic and DP,” remorsefully says Sekidde warning the public against 6 DP lawyers whom he says specialize at defrauding clients. He refuses to name the 6 DP mafia lawyers but vows to name and shame them some day. Sekidde says the matter regarding the KCCA billions is still being resolved before a judge at Twed Plaza where KCCA lawyers are bargaining for a reduction in the damages. Sekidde also denied reports that he is being used as a proxy through whom his godfathers in KCCA will access this money. “I have been hearing those reports but that is rubbish. How do you eat government money? Is it so easy? What I have experienced so far in this case teaches me it’s not that easy,” Sekidde concludes.
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