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City businessman Sudhir Ruparelia and his Speke Hotel group just got handed a bill they probably did not see coming. The High Court ruled that the hotel’s perimeter wall in Kongero, Wakiso District, crept over onto 0.09 acres belonging to Dr Peter Musoke Gukiina. Instead of forcing them to tear down the wall, Justice Patience Basaza Wasswa awarded the doctor Shs66.4 million for the land plus another Shs15 million in general damages for the hassle. Add 10 percent annual interest until it is paid in full, and the total climbs to Shs81.4 million. Both sides cover their own lawyer fees.
This has been dragging on for years, the classic neighbourhood boundary dispute that somehow involves one of Uganda’s biggest property players. The court threw out most of Gukiina’s other claims, like saying he had rights over nearby Speke plots, but on the encroachment point they sided with him clear as day. For regular landowners watching this, it is a reminder that even the powerful can lose when survey lines are crossed, though compensation over demolition keeps things practical. Ruparelia’s camp has not commented yet, but expect appeals to keep this one alive a while longer. In Wakiso where land pressure is insane, stories like this make people double-check their titles.
