Kampala businesswoman Teopista Nabbaale has appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to intervene in her dispute with Exim Bank Uganda following the auction of her commercial property in Kabalagala. In an emotional video circulating online, Nabbaale asks the President to help her engage the bank’s owners in the hope of reversing the decision and recovering the building she says she worked hard to acquire.

Nabbaale, who has been distressed by the loss of the property, claims that powerful individuals and security officials were involved in the process that led to its sale. She alleges that she faced threats, including warnings that she could be arrested or killed if she continued fighting to retain the building. These claims have not been independently verified, and the allegations against the individuals involved remain matters requiring evidence.

The dispute reportedly arose after Exim Bank moved to recover a loan estimated at Shs6.5 billion. According to the information surrounding the case, the bank obtained authorisation from the Commercial Court to auction the commercial property in Kabalagala over alleged failure to repay the loan. Nabbaale, however, disputes the circumstances surrounding the sale and is now seeking intervention to have the matter reconsidered.

In her account, Nabbaale says she had identified a potential buyer based in the United States who was willing to purchase the property for Shs13 billion. She claims that despite this opportunity, she encountered opposition from people she associates with the bank and security agencies. She alleges that the situation escalated to the point where she collapsed at Kabalagala Police Station, although the circumstances surrounding that incident have not been independently established.

The businesswoman believes that selling the building to the interested buyer could have provided an opportunity to resolve the financial dispute. She is therefore asking the President to help facilitate discussions with the bank and relevant authorities. However, whether the proposed buyer made a formal offer, and whether the offer could have settled the outstanding loan and other obligations, would need to be established through the relevant records.

In her emotional appeal, Nabbaale also referred to her son, whom she says serves in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). She told Museveni that she had even given him her son to serve in the army and pleaded for assistance as she watched the wealth she had worked hard to build slip away. Her remarks reflected the frustration and desperation she says she has experienced throughout the dispute.

The case has drawn attention to the difficult situations that can arise when borrowers and financial institutions disagree over loan repayment and property recovery. Banks generally have legal procedures available to recover outstanding debts, including court-authorised auctions, while borrowers may challenge a process through the appropriate legal channels if they believe their rights were violated. Establishing whether the auction complied with the law is therefore central to resolving the dispute.

Nabbaale is now looking to Museveni for help in bringing the parties together and finding a possible way forward. It remains unclear whether the bank or the relevant authorities will respond to her latest appeal, or whether any legal steps are underway to challenge the auction. Until further information is available from the parties involved, her allegations should be treated as claims, while the legal status of the property and the circumstances of its sale remain key questions in the dispute.