We Will Only Forgive Rent When the President Asks Us Personally – City Landlords

At least two Kampala arcade owners have agreed to forgive their tenants of all rent arrears since the Covid19 lock down.

The landlords however, say they will only do this if President Yoweri Museveni appeals to them personally.

This was revealed by Hon Benna Namugwanya the Junior KCCA Minister in a televised interview on Tuesday morning.

The minister says the landlords, whose names she declined to reveal, had refused to talk to any other government official other than the president.

“They told us they didn’t want hear from me, or from Betty Kamya, or Hon Kyambadde or Katumba Wamala. They just want the request to come from the president,” Namugwanya told Salt Tv.

“And so we are organizing a meeting so they can meet the president. I thank God because the president we have has a soft heart; I know he will accept to meet them for the people of Uganda.”

The Minister also projected hope that many more landlords will be showing kindness to their struggling tenants.

So far, she said, a total of 5 landlords had agree to forgive all rent arrears since March.

“Together with Minister (Amelia) Kyambadde we have had many meetings and I want to thank some landlords who have agreed to forgive rent to their clients for the entire lockdown period,” she said.

“There are some landlords who have even bought masks for everybody that rents in their arcades. But we are still begging and mediating. A few are still refusing to help and we are still talking to them, because there is no low that compels them. It has to come from their heart; forgiveness comes from the heart. Other landlords have agreed to forgive one month, others two and others the entire period.”