Sudhir, Kololo SS sign Shs15b deal
By KIHEMBO WILBERT
KAMPALA. Lawmakers probing land matters yesterday celebrated a mini-victory in their quest to protect the interests of the affected schools ,particularly in “done deals” after they successfully convinced tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia to sign “access and usage” agreement, with Kololo Senior Secondary School.
Rwenzori Times understands that on Monday, Kololo SS team led by Dr James Nkata, the board chairman, Ms Margaret Watuwa, the head teacher, and Mr David Nkojjo, the chairperson Parents Teachers Association, met Mr Ruparelia at Uganda Management Institute in Kampala where they signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the school. Mr Ruparelia, the proprietor, Kampala Parents, signed on behalf of his school.
MPs on the select committee investigating land deals in Kampala told Rwenzori Times yesterday that the new MoU gives Kololo SS and the community access to the sports facility and details how the two schools will share a $5m (about Shs15.5 billion) modern sports facility, to be built.
“The MoU is good news because this transaction was already a done deal but as a committee we decided to revisit the matter after Kololo SS complained that they were not consulted,” the committee chairperson, Mr Robert Migadde (Buvuma Islands) said.
Uganda Land Commission gave Mr Ruparelia a 99-year lease on the six-acre piece of land on Plot 8-12, Saddler Way, Naguru, a Kampala suburb. Appearing before the committee last month, Kololo Senior Secondary School administrators appealed to MPs to ensure their interests are protected in the new deal with the businessman.
Speaking after the signing of the MoU, Dr Nkata said: “We are not anti-development, our main interest in all this is access to the main facility. The MoU protects our main interest as a school and the playground is going to remain a sports facility and nothing else. To us, it is not about the ownership of the land, it’s about what is going to be done on this land and our interests as a school have been catered for in the MoU.”
Writing on behalf of the Solicitor General, Mr Ben Turyasingura in a June 2, letter to Kololo SS, cleared the deal.
Mr Ruparelia said: “We are going to invest more than $5m in the facility. It’s going to benefit everybody and Kololo SS and other neighbouring schools as well as the public will have access to the facility.”
Rwenzori Times understands that on Monday, Kololo SS team led by Dr James Nkata, the board chairman, Ms Margaret Watuwa, the head teacher, and Mr David Nkojjo, the chairperson Parents Teachers Association, met Mr Ruparelia at Uganda Management Institute in Kampala where they signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the school. Mr Ruparelia, the proprietor, Kampala Parents, signed on behalf of his school.
MPs on the select committee investigating land deals in Kampala told Rwenzori Times yesterday that the new MoU gives Kololo SS and the community access to the sports facility and details how the two schools will share a $5m (about Shs15.5 billion) modern sports facility, to be built.
“The MoU is good news because this transaction was already a done deal but as a committee we decided to revisit the matter after Kololo SS complained that they were not consulted,” the committee chairperson, Mr Robert Migadde (Buvuma Islands) said.
Uganda Land Commission gave Mr Ruparelia a 99-year lease on the six-acre piece of land on Plot 8-12, Saddler Way, Naguru, a Kampala suburb. Appearing before the committee last month, Kololo Senior Secondary School administrators appealed to MPs to ensure their interests are protected in the new deal with the businessman.
Speaking after the signing of the MoU, Dr Nkata said: “We are not anti-development, our main interest in all this is access to the main facility. The MoU protects our main interest as a school and the playground is going to remain a sports facility and nothing else. To us, it is not about the ownership of the land, it’s about what is going to be done on this land and our interests as a school have been catered for in the MoU.”
Writing on behalf of the Solicitor General, Mr Ben Turyasingura in a June 2, letter to Kololo SS, cleared the deal.
Mr Ruparelia said: “We are going to invest more than $5m in the facility. It’s going to benefit everybody and Kololo SS and other neighbouring schools as well as the public will have access to the facility.”
About the facility
The facility will comprise of a standard size football pitch, a 25m swimming pool and 2 athletics tracks (200m and 400m). It will also have modern basketball, volleyball, tennis and badminton courts. The complex will have a fitness centre, sports cafe, martial arts facilities, boxing, dance and gymnastics studios, 50m and 25m shooting ranges, climbing walls and multi-purpose rooms for meetings.
According to the MoU, Kololo SS will also be allowed a 10 per cent commission for all business brought in for the commercial facilities and the school will be represented on the management of the facility.
According to the MoU, Kololo SS will also be allowed a 10 per cent commission for all business brought in for the commercial facilities and the school will be represented on the management of the facility.
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