Source: Uganda Today
A storm is brewing around Hon. Milly Babirye Babalanda, Minister for the Presidency, after fresh allegations emerged linking her to a high-profile property wrangle in Kololo. The controversy centers on disputed prime real estate that has allegedly been fraudulently transferred into the names of her son, David Kenneth Numembi.
The property in question belongs to Dr. Dennis Daniel Ssemugenyi, a Ugandan businessman currently living abroad, who accuses the minister and her son of orchestrating an illegal aggressive takeover in connivance with DFCU Bank.
WhatsApp Evidence Points to Minister’s Involvement
Uganda Today has obtained WhatsApp exchanges purportedly between Dr. Ssemugenyi and Minister Babalanda, in which she is said to have warned him to “back off” the property. In one exchange, Babalanda allegedly declared that they had already taken possession and advised Ssemugenyi to “live with that fact.”
“She told me David Kenneth Numembi is her son and that he purchased my properties,” Dr. Ssemugenyi said in a statement shared with Uganda Today. “She warned me that they would take them by all means and even threatened me against pursuing the matter further.”
Minister Shrugs Off Media Questions
When contacted by Uganda Today, Hon. Babalanda dismissed the matter, saying journalists were “disturbing” her unnecessarily.
“There is a buyer and a seller in this issue. I have nothing to do with it,” she said before abruptly ending the call.
However, the minister’s denial stands in stark contrast with evidence of direct communication in which she is alleged to have threatened Ssemugenyi and openly defended her son’s claim to the disputed property.
“Intimidation and Abuse of Office”
According to Dr. Ssemugenyi, the minister has been actively interfering with his case by contacting officers handling the dispute. “She is threatening me. Kenneth Numembi gave her my contact and she called me. We had a bitter exchange. She said they will take my property by all means,” he revealed.
Legal analysts Uganda Today spoke to warned that such conduct, if proven, would amount to intimidation and abuse of office by a senior government official.
Wider Implications
The case has sparked outrage among property rights activists, who argue that it highlights a growing pattern of politically connected individuals using their influence to dispossess ordinary Ugandans of prime assets.
“This is not just about one property,” one Kampala-based legal expert observed. “It is about impunity at the highest levels of government. When a sitting minister is linked to threats and fraudulent transfers, it undermines public trust in the rule of law.”
For now, Dr. Ssemugenyi says he will continue to fight for his property through legal and civic channels.
“Imagine these illegalities perpetuated by a Minister for Presidency. She needs to be exposed,” he said defiantly.