Last week Media reported about a ruthless landlady only identified as Mariam who locked tenant’s children inside the house for the whole day, without food, after their mother objected unlawful, forceful eviction to pave way for a new tenant who apparently increased the price from UGX2m to 3m per month and paid six months in advance.
After summoning her last week and she responded with excuses that she had got sick, Kajjansi Police station gave her up to Thursday this week to appear without fail. But also summoned the area chairman to appear and make statement about the saga.
You may wonder why the chairman was summoned, it’s because he alledgly connives with the Mariam to give sleepless nights to tenants in the area. It is said that Chairman first told police that he didn’t know anything about this saga but later when police turned tough against him, he coughed the keys of the house the land lady had locked.
Now, as we report this, Mariam faces jail over unlawful confinement which is actually contrary to Article 23(2), 28(1) 24 and 44(c) 1995 Uganda constitution.
The Penal Code Act Cap 120 section 248 provides that for wrongful confinement, any person who wrongfully confines any other person commits a misdemeanor and once proven guilty, one is imprisoned for 2years.
It all started when a female tenant (names withheld) with her children paid her rent for six months beginning from October 1, 2021 (although the contract shows 5months because the landlady argued that one month’s pay is security, in case her children spoilt her house).
However, even before the 5 months could end, the landlady sent a notice to evict the tenant, arguing that she had got a new tenant, who had agreed to pay 3m per month from shs 2m the current tenant was paying. When the tenant insisted that she was willing to negotiate new terms again amidst the existing contract, the landlady told her it was not possible because the ‘new tenant’ had even already paid!
The current tenant in October paid the equivalent of Uganda shillings 12m in United States dollars (Mariam only accept dollars). Now if the new one has paid shs3m per month for six months, presumably, Mariam has so far bagged shs 30m in less than six months, from two tenants paying for the same house!
Area Chairman Involved In Dirty Game After Allegedly Wetting His Beak: According to the tenant, yesterday the landlady came into the house in the absence of the tenant (only kids were home) and told the children to warn their mother that today (Saturday) she would evict her so she should (tenant) leave early if she didn’t want to be embarrassed.
True to her word, according to the tenant, this morning, Mariam came into the company of LC1 Chairman Lubowa Zone known as Francis Ssemambo ready for the illegal eviction.
When they arrived at the house, they didn’t find the tenant as she had gone to work but found her children who told the landlady that their mother wasn’t around. The landlady instead entered into the kitchen, picked the house keys, locked the children up in the house and went away with the keys!
Kids have not had food since morning, according to her narration and the landlady refused to pick up her calls.
According to the agreement seen by this website, the tenant’s agreement for 5 months was running up to 1/March 2022, and then remember she paid for six months, one month’s money (shs2m) being security which is still with the landlady. This means she had up to six months to exhaust her shs12m. According to the tenancy/landlord agreement, a landlord is supposed to give prior notice of at least 90days.
