Ex-RDC sued over Shs12.25m rent arrears, vows to defend himself in court

BY NATHAN NGOBI   

ARUA CITY – The former Yumbe Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Richard Andama has vowed to vigorously defend himself and win a court case in which he is being sued for rent arrears amounting to Shs12,250,000. The landlord, Moses Adriko, says the arrears started accumulating from 2023 to date. Adriko claims Andama began renting three rooms at his residence in Ombu Cell, Ayivu Division, Arua City, in 2021 at a monthly rate of Shs350,000.

“During his stay, Andama faced repeated difficulties in paying rent. I eventually asked him to vacate the house, but he insisted on clearing the outstanding arrears, which were not yet substantial at the time,” Adriko said.

He added that in April 2023, he convened a meeting with Andama, his caretaker, and the area LC1 chairperson. “I asked him why he wasn’t paying. He said he was expecting some money that had not yet come. Andama kept promising to pay on several occasions but failed to do so,” Adriko explained.

At that time, the arrears stood at Shs1,450,000. Andama paid Shs300,000 and promised to clear the balance. However, despite writing commitment letters before the LC1, he did not honour his pledge.

“I tried to engage him again in July when the arrears had risen to Shs1,750,000, but all efforts were in vain. The unfortunate thing is that Andama locked the door and disappeared with the keys,” Adriko said.

He further stated that before disappearing, Andama parked an old vehicle in dangerous mechanical condition on the compound and left his belongings in the house, making it impossible for him to rent out the rooms to new tenants. The arrears have since accumulated to Shs12,250,000.

When contacted, Andama described the decision to take him to court as “inhuman.” He vowed to defend himself and win the case. He accused Adriko of illegally welding his door, thereby denying him access to the rooms — an allegation the landlord denied.

“The LC1 chairman called and informed me that Adriko had brought someone to weld my door. The chairman even said the man had just finished welding the door in his presence,” Andama claimed.

He added: “For three years he kept the door welded? He was demanding Shs1.7 million, which I was willing to pay, but instead he welded the door. This means all this accumulation happened because of his own actions.” Andama described the landlord’s move to sue him for Shs12.25 million as “greed” and “unacceptable in a civilised world,” arguing that the welding of the door was illegal.

However, Felix Ezama, the Ombu Cell chairperson, confirmed that Andama was indeed Adriko’s tenant and that he initially stayed well. He said he convened several meetings over the unpaid rent.

“Andama at one point wrote a commitment letter to clear the accumulated rent but failed to fulfil his promise until he disappeared,” Ezama said. When asked about the alleged welding of the door, Ezama denied ever informing Andama that Adriko had welded the door.