Uganda to raze embassy 'drug den'

The Monitor paper said the building was a symbol of national shame

The Ugandan government is hoping to demolish the former residence of its ambassador to Brussels after the site in the Belgian capital became derelict.

Uganda's Monitor paper reports that the building has become a shelter for drug addicts and is defaced with graffiti.

One of the bedroom walls is emblazoned with the words "Welcome to hell".

Foreign ministry official James Mugume said it did not make sense to pay $100,000 a month to secure the site and demolition permission has been sought.

The building, sitting on a plot of 5,000 sq metres and boasting a swimming pool and a tennis court, was acquired during Idi Amin's rule and has been left vacant for the last 10 years, the Monitor said.

Deputy Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and a group of MPs visited the site last week.

There are not enough funds to secure it from those of "bad character"

“Oh, my God! How could we let this property come to such a pathetic state?" the paper quotes Ms Kadaga as saying.

Mr Mugume said Brussels city council wanted to know what would happen to the site before approving a demolition and plans for the site had now been submitted.

"It's possible, since it's an abandoned site, that there may be bad characters using it, writing graffiti, since we could not have funds to secure it," he said at a press briefing in Kampala.

"Now that the drawings have been sent to the city we have told the ambassador to appeal [to] the city to quickly approve the building."

"Once they approve the architectural designs, then the money is there to demolish it. It would take one day."