PHOTO: Hon. Mukasa, flanked by Lord councilor Faridah Nakabugo and other leaders, addresses media shortly after Juma prayers at Kabowa Masgid Dunia, yesterday
NEWS EDITOR MEDIA
MUSLIMS at Kabowa Masgid Hidyat Dinia are on pressure to raise UGX 1.2B to refund money for tycoon Simpson Birungi, the Executive Chairman of Movit Products Company Ltd if they are to reposes part of the mosque land bought by this businessman.
Yesterday during Juma prayers, area MP Hon. Aloysius Mukasa donated UGX 3M in cash and pledged to look for more funds so that the mosque land is not taken away by Movit. Muslims have saluted their Member of Parliament for being pro people and for the benevolent heart. They also promised to stand by their MP.
While handing over UGX 3M to the Imam, Hon. Mukasa noted that, “When I was approached by Imam of Masgid Dinia to contribute towards reclaiming of Mosque land, I had to give it priority. As your area Member of Parliament, I have been vocal against land evictions. I will not accept mosque land to be taken by a businessman. We will liase with other leaders to see how to stop this.”
Birungi, commonly known as ‘Movit ‘, is said to have bought part of this land in 2009 from the children of late Dinia, who donated land where this moque was built and named after him.
He demolished structures on it in 2013 to redevelop it. However, Muslims approached and engaged him on a round table to allow them refund his money so that he doesn’t take away part of the mosque land.
They reached an agreement in 2019 and Movit demanded that they refund his UGX 1.2B he paid Dinia’s children for this land. He did not ask for any other peny apart from what he used to buy the land.
“Part of this money, UGX 800M, Movit had demanded that it is paid by February 2022 but Muslims did not make it and pressure is too much on the side of Muslims that they might lose chance to reclaim it.” Source revealed to this news Website.
Addressing hundreds of Muslims who attended Juma prayers yesterday and thereafter fundraised for this cause, Hon. Aloysius Mukasa pledged to lobby for more funds to save Dinia Mosque land.
MP Mukasa who is renown for defending Lubaga South people against land evictions was accompanied by fellow NUP area leaders who included Lord councilor Faridah Nakabugo, councilor Sylvia Nassozi, Yusuf Buwembo, John Baptist Ssegirinya John and others.
For starters, late Dinia donated this land to build a mosque. Muslims used part of it to construct Kabowa Hidyat Muslim Primary School and on another piece of this land they put small shops.
After the death of their dad, Dinia’s children claimed their land apart from where the mosque sits.
They wanted to demolish the school and construct shops but on request from Mosque leadership to preserve the Muslim school, children agreed on condition that they takeover leadership of the school.
Children took over 80% of the shares in the school, while Mosque remained with only 20%.
About the other piece of land where Mosque leadership had put small shops, children decided to take it away and looked for a buyer.
That is how Movit bought that piece of land but now, Muslims are supposed to buy it from him at the exact amount he obtained it.
Will they manage to raise the UGX 1.2B Movit’s money or fail and leave Movit with no option but to develop his land?
Recently, Kampala minister Hajjat Minsa Kabanda went to Masgid Dinia and pledged to involve His Excellency the President to bail them out. On her behalf, she gave UGX 2M.
We are not aware, how far with the presidential intervention but what we are sure of is, pressure is too much and the Muslims need urgent bail out.
Thanks to Hon Mukasa this born giver and Lord councilor Nakabugo who also contributed towards this Noble cause.
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