URA�s Bigirwa worth Shs 1bn
Henry H. Ssali
The Sebutinde Commission yesterday found that Jack Bigirwa has several
properties valued at about Shs 1bn.
Bigirwa is acting commissioner for administration at the Uganda Revenue
Authority.
Bigirwa owns a farm valued at Shs 700m with a Shs 70m house on it at Sheema
in Mbarara.
�I am proud of it, my lord,� Bigirwa said. �It is one of the biggest in
western region.�
Bigirwa also owns a Shs 120m house in Mbarara.
He owns a fleet of vehicles including a Mercedes Benz, which was
undervalued. He said he bought the vehicle at Shs 13m.
Bigirwa said he bought the vehicle from a person he did not know.
Bigirwa�s three children go to universities in Britain, Canada and the
United States. They cost him 11,000 pounds, 11,000 Canadian dollars and
$9,000 annually.
When asked where he gets the money for his children�s upkeep, he said: �I
knew that question was coming because it�s an envy to people. They don�t
want others� kids to go to school. We had to sell a beautiful house at
Nakasero for them to survive.�
�It [leaves] us to question where you get this kind of money at your age,�
Sebutinde said.
�With all due respect, I wouldn�t want anyone to tell me I have amassed
wealth,� Bigirwa. �I am a hard working man, my lord.�
Bigirwa said he also earns from his farm and a courier company he owns. He
operates five bank accounts including one in Pounds.
Steven Bainenama, an official in Busia who joined the tax body in 2000,
earns Shs 1.1m a month but has a bank account of Shs 120m.
Commissioner James Kahooza asked him to explain Shs 62m deposited in one
transaction.
He said the money belongs to a community-based organisation.
�This is your money, no organisation would use your private account,�
Sebutinde said.
Another official, Stephen Zabalimpa, owns a commercial/residential building
in Namuwongo. He valued it at Shs 15m.
�It�s in the region of Shs 40m,� Sebutinde said when shown photographs of
the building.
He also owns a Shs 25m house in Kitintale. Asked why he didn�t declare it,
he said: �I am a squatter. Any minute I will be evicted.� He showed the
commission a 1991 eviction letter.
�That is absolute nonsense. You did not declare this house,� Sebutinde said.
October 25, 2002 00:32:34
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