One of Kigezi region’s best known tycoons Frank Byaruhanga has rushed to court to sue National Agricultural Services (NAADS) for breach of contract and failure to pay him Shs1.7 billion for the tea seedlings he supplied.
Byaruhanga also a seasoned politician in Kanungu district maintains that between May and June this year, he entered into a contract with NAADS to supply and transport 1,282,000 tea seedlings to Kisoro district that amounted to Shs576 million.
“In persistence to the terms of the contract, pursued the route of arbitration including seeking the intervention of the Prime Minister, Head of Operation Wealth Creation, District leaders, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Secretary to Treasury but all these efforts proved futile,” Byaruhanga’s claim reads in part.
According to Byaruhanga, Kisoro district local government and NAADS carried out another verification led by the office of the Chief Internal Auditor which recommend that he should be paid but is worried why there is no fruitful result from the agreement.
“I spent a lot of my time and money to meet the contract’s terms and conditions but am shocked that they do not want to pay me after delivering the service” laments Byaruhanga.
Thaddeus Opesene, the commercial court Registrar has subsequently issued summons ordering NAADS and Kisoro district Local government to respond these allegations within 15 days from the date of filing the case of November 11.
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Byaruhanga’s complaints come at a time when tea farmers in Kigezi region are furious with the government for failure to pay them for supplying tea seedlings to their fellow farmers.
Earlier this year, farmers’ representatives from Kigezi region met the Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel in Kampala who assured them that they were going to be paid.
The delays in payment irked the farmers who threatened to halt the supply of the tea seedlings and stage demonstrations.
This forced Kisoro district chairman Abel Bizimana to stage a lone demonstration when he stormed NAADS secretariat demanding to know reasons why they were rendering a deaf ear to farmers who had supplied tea seedlings and met all obligations required by government.
The persistent failure by government to honour promises to pay farmers their money has lured many to take several options including rushing to court like Frank Byaruhanga.
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By Sadiiki Adams
