NELSON K
Rukungiri landlords and landladies threaten to take Rukungiri Municipal authorities to courts of law over high, unjustified, and unfair property rate tax charges
The Rukungiri Municipal landlords and landladies, through their chairperson Tweyambe Robert Darius Baguma, have today announced their decision to act and sue the Rukungiri Municipal authorities (Town Clerk, the sitting Mayor, and others) in courts of law following the abnormal and illegal increase in property rate tax.
Speaking with journalists this afternoon, Mr. Tweyambe Robert Darius confirmed that they have hired Deacon Advocates law firm to help them face the municipal authorities in courts of law for justice. Darius said that before the press conference, he first met landlords and landladies who expressed their frustration and dissatisfaction towards the new property rate tax imposed on their buildings, blaming the municipal authorities for lacking a valid and published valuation list.
They cited lack of publication of new notice rates, exorbitant and unfair rates, non-compliance with the property tax fund provisions, improper collection methods, lack of transparency, and adverse impacts. They also want landlords to be involved in budgeting for that money.
Therefore, the affected landlords are calling for immediate suspension of enforcement actions and a review of the current rates to align with the legal valuation process. Otherwise, they propose that payments be made according to the previous rate and that the authorities provide full accountability of the tax they have been collecting since 2008.
Meanwhile, Robert Darius added that, to make matters worse, the authorities have been illegally closing buildings of those who failed to pay instead of taking them to court to issue justice on the issues.
He added that despite hiring lawyers to fight for them over alleged embezzlement and bribery, they have already engaged all leaders in the district such as the RDC Brone Kinkashemeza, CAO Mr. Fredric Byekwaso, the DPC’s office, sitting LC5 chairperson Kyomukama Geofry, the office of Town Clerk Mr. Isaiah Tumwesigye, the sitting Municipal Mayor Mr. Charles Makuru, the District Security Officer, all division town clerks, and the Speaker Municipal Council.
He has threatened that failure to respond within the stipulated time will lead them to pursue legal remedies, including court action, demarcation, injunctions, and refunds to those landlords and landladies who have been suffering such huge expenses and losses in the process.
Meanwhile, the Rukungiri Municipal Town Clerk Isaiah Tumwesigye, responding to the issue, said none of the landlords appealed within the specified time given to them. However, he confirmed that due to his absence from office recently, he has not seen any documents or invitations from landlords tagging him, although he has seen them on social media and hopes to review them when he returns to his office.
However, despite misunderstandings in the area and perceived stubbornness among some landlords and landladies, he has supported the idea of their leaders appealing to courts of law, hoping it will resolve the issues by ensuring justice prevails in a fair way.
