Uganda Revenue Authority is on spot over the closure of Migra Hotel and harassment of its staff.
Migra Hotel located at Mutesa 11 Road off Namugongo – Kireka Road is owned by businessman and politician Mugisha Chrispus.
The said hotel was closed last week and its staff arrested by URA with the help from Uganda Police over alleged tax arrears that have accumulated to 600 million Shillings.
However according to Chrispus, the proprietor of the hotel, he has been in charge of the hotel for less than two years and has been developing this place which he acquired while still under construction.
Chrispus says some of the taxes which URA is claiming were accumulated before he took over the hotel and he is wondering why the tax body didn’t ask the former owners to clear the taxes.
He also accuses the URA staff for arresting his staff who are innocent and who are not responsible for the tax obligations of the hotel, “why did they arrest my staff? What have they done?” wondered Chrispus.
Chrispus also told our reporter that apart from closing the hotel, URA also closed other businesses which were housed in the hotel building but were not part of the hotel and these included a Super Market, Salon and Mobile Money. “If they had issues with the hotel, why would they close other businesses in the building? Would you close NTV because Serena Hotel hasn’t paid taxes”? wondered Chrispus.
The angry Chrispus said the hotel has been making losses and therefore is not supposed to be paying all this money to URA which it hasn’t been making.
He also expressed worry that there could be a political hand behind URA actions since he contested with the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Frank Tumwebaze for MP Kibale East County in Kamwenge District. Chrispus also intends to contest for the same seat in 2026 and has already donated a brand new Land Cruiser Ambulance to the people of Kibale East and is also constructing two classroom blocks at Malere Secondary School in Biguli Sub County. He believes that this could be a plot to cripple him financially so that he can back off from the Minister in the coming election.
The URA spokesperson could not be reached for a comment by the time we filed this story as his known phones were off.
