By Zainab Ali

Sudhir Ruparelia Thursday appeared before the Land Probe Committee to clear himself on the question of the Kololo land and how he acquired lease.

Sudhir is the proprietor of Kampala Parents School located in Kololo and acquired Kololo SSS land on lease.

The Land Probe Committee received queries from Uganda Land Commission ULC that the tycoon had not paid the requisite fees and original lease tempered with.

Sudhir appeared before Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemereire and commissioners; Fredrick Ruhindi and Dr. Rose Nakayi to explain the allegations.

Below is how the Probe team and Sudhir interfaced;

Sudhir: My lord, this lease was granted…

Lady Justice Bamugemereire:…in error — should will let this error continue when we call ourselves a country of rule of law?

Sudhir: Let the law follow its course

Sudhir: Letting go is not a loss but how do you let go? When someone takes away something, you let it go. If the business is losing money, pay the debts and close the chapter

Sudhir when Land Probe Committee asked him about Kololo SS land management: We have not had a meeting with Kololo Secondary School to set up a management team..

Lady Justice Bamugemereire: You’re not like any ordinary citizen applying for a land title. You are Sudhir.

Sudhir: My lord, no. What can I do to clear this perception?

Lady Justice Bamugemereire: The perception is not Sudhir. The perception is some offices are influenced

Fred Ruhindi: I think you should acquit yourself and come up clean. Join government agencies, find these flaws and get them corrected

Ruhindi: I think by your own admissions, you were not aware of this original title. You admitted that you’re not a sitting tenant. I think these are fundamental flaws in the foundation

Sudhir: I always follow the law

Lady Justice Bamugemereire: Did you follow the law? You were not a sitting tenant.

Sudhir: My lord, I thought I was a sitting tenant

Lay Justice Bamugemereire: What is the remedy? Would you let the law follow its course

Sudhir: The commission will make its recommendations

Sudhir: I’m a very simple man but sometimes, the perception of people is not something I can’t control. This is not a profit making acquisition

Lady Justice Bamugemereire: Do you think the school management would applaud these acquisitions?

Sudhir: I don’t see any distrust. In my opinion, we are ready to work with KPS and Kololo S.S to make sure this thing works

Sudhri: KPS comes within a company but it’s a school itself. The school management is not involved in these issues. They are involved in the day to day activities of the school and not acquisition of assets

Rose Nakayi: Getting a lease of 99 years without fulfilling the initials conditions of five years before renewal means the self entitlement I talked about played out here and also that power is now shifting. It rarely happens

Nakkayi: Was the driving factor of attempting to acquire this field purely provision of service to KPS?

Sudhir: My lord, the primary objective was to secure the play field for KPS and Kololo S.S students

Nakkayi: Where do students of Kampala Parents School (KPS) do their athletics from?

Sudhir: We have a sports facility within the school or they go to Kampala International School

Nakkayi: You came off as a person who has a fat sense of entitlement that if you want it, you can get it — why not!

Sudhir: I can’t make a comment on that

Sudhir: My lawyer says he doesn’t think I was a sitting tenant. I thought I was a sitting tenant and my lord, I think I was wrong

Land Commission Committee led by Lady justice Catherine Bamugemereire summons Sudhir Ruparelia over Kololo S.S land scandal

Businessman Sudhir Ruparelia is appearing before Land Commission Committee