The Deputy Solicitor General, Billy Kainamura, has admitted to approving a deal in which the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) purchased land at an inflated price from a company owned Security Minister, Amama Mbabazi.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Statutory and State Enterprises Committee today, Kainamura said he was compelled to clear the purchase agreement for the contested land in Temangalo, Wakiso District because he did not want to paralyze the transaction. He claimed that the NSSF board had already taken the decision to buy the land at an inflated price from businessman Amos Nzeyi and Arma Limited, the company owned by Amama Mbabazi.
Kainamura said he was consulted very late in the process and was only asked to give the deal his approval. He insisted that he only offered legal advice since the law is unclear on the Solicitor General's role in procurement issues in regards to state enterprises like NSSF.
NSSF bought 109.22 acres of land from Arma Limited and another 302.39 acres from Amos Nzeyi that are located next to each other at 11 billion shillings. The price paid per acre of land was 25 million shillings. However three independent valuers priced the land at between 14 and 18 million shillings per acre.
The chairperson of the parliamentary committee, Erute South MP John Odit, said Kainamura's explanation did not clear him of blame. He said the Deputy Solicitor General had the authority to halt the transaction, but chose to approve it, well aware that the deal was irregular.
Kainamura pleaded with the MPs arguing that many state enterprises regularly break the procurement laws. However the MPs said it was his duty to act on cases like this and he had failed in this responsibility.
