KAMPALA – A landlord has told court how he entered into a tenancy agreement with an accused tenant in Kyanja after being introduced through a property broker, detailing payments amounting to sh1.6 million in advance rent and fees.
Makai Joel, a landlord in Kyanja, testified that he first came to know Christopher Okello in March this year through a house broker who facilitated the rental arrangement.
According to Joel’s testimony, Okello agreed to rent a residential property at sh400,000 per month and signed a tenancy agreement covering four months in advance.
Court was told that Okello subsequently paid a total of sh1.6 million, comprising sh1.5 million deposited directly into the bank as instructed by the landlord and an additional sh100,000 paid in cash to the broker as commission.
Joel further explained that the arrangement followed standard rental procedures, with the broker acting as an intermediary between the two parties before the agreement was finalized.
The testimony forms part of ongoing court proceedings in which Okello faces unspecified charges linked to the tenancy arrangement. Details of the broader case have not yet been fully disclosed in open court.
Property brokers in Kampala commonly facilitate rental agreements between landlords and tenants, particularly in fast-growing residential areas such as Kyanja, where demand for housing has increased in recent years.
The case continues before court as proceedings are expected to shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the tenancy and any alleged wrongdoing connected to it.
Authorities have not yet issued additional statements on the matter.
