Multiple properties in Kampala, Wakiso, and Lira will be sold unless former Kibanda County MP and proprietor of Otada Bus Services, Sam Amooti Otada, pays his loan obligations to an unnamed bank.
The money, which sources familiar with the matter estimate to be in billions of shillings, was advanced against titles held under Otada Holdings Limited.
However, Otada fell into default at the close of last year, and the company has not been able to clear the loan.
A notice published by AF Mpanga Advocates indicated that its client had instructed it to initiate a public auction against mortgaged properties registered under Otada Holdings unless the company clears the outstanding loan balance, comprising both principal and interest, within 30 days.
The properties under threat are largely buildings and developed plots spread across Kampala, Wakiso, and Lira.
They include both commercial and residential premises, some of which are under the administration of estate managers following the deaths of family members.
The properties set for sale are largely developed buildings spread across Kampala, Wakiso, and Lira, some of which fall under the estate administration of the late Peter Opio Owor.
In Kololo, one of Kampala’s most prestigious residential suburbs, Otada risks losing a palatial home located on Plot 4 Halton Close.
The house, which sits on 0.164 acres, is among the most valuable of the assets listed.
Another property in Wakiso, situated at Kyadondo Block 221, Nalyako, is registered in the names of Esther Akullo and Sam Amooti Owor. It covers 0.061 hectares.
This too is a developed residence, underscoring the fact that the auction is not merely targeting empty land but actual homes and buildings.
In Kisugu, near Namuwongo in Kampala District, a building on Kyadondo Block 244 has also been listed.
Registered in the names of Esther Akullo, Ingrid Naur, and Opiyo Ivar, this property sits on 0.084 hectares and is located in a fast-growing suburb where property values have been steadily rising.
Tribunal Backs URA in UGX 10.2 Billion Century Bottling Tax FightBeyond the capital, three properties in Lira Municipality are also set to go under the hammer.
The first, situated on Kabalega Road, is registered under Samuel Owor, who is the administrator of the estate of the late Peter Opio Owor.
Another property on Balla Road, also under Owor’s administration, measures approximately 0.047 hectares and is similarly developed.
The final property, located on Oyar Road, is administered by Samuel Owor Amooti on behalf of the estate of the late Opio Owor and measures 0.044 hectares.
The inclusion of these estate-managed properties indicates that Otada’s financial troubles have dragged in assets beyond his direct control, potentially sparking wider family and legal complications.
For Otada, the auction marks a dramatic turn in a career that has straddled politics, business, and law.
From 2001 to 2016, he represented Kibanda County, now Kibanda North, in Parliament as an independent, winning three consecutive terms.
In 2016, however, he lost his seat to Taban Idi Amin, the grandson of former President Idi Amin.
Although he challenged the results in court, which were later nullified by the Court of Appeal, he eventually withdrew from the by-election called in 2017, leaving Taban unopposed and effectively bringing his political career to a close.
Following his exit from politics, Otada shifted focus to business and the family-owned Otada Group of Companies, which operates in transportation, construction, and other sectors.
However, not all has been smooth sailing. In 2021, he found himself embroiled in controversy after being accused of attempting to grab 100 acres of land in Kiryandongo District, a case that drew public protests and petitions to President Museveni.
At the same time, Otada was pursuing a new professional path, having returned to Makerere University to study law before completing his bar course at the Law Development Centre in 2020.
