Hospital authorities, Muslims lock horns over contested land

The Uganda Land Commission has summoned Jinja Regional Referral Hospital authorities and Jinja Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) Jinja Branch over land disputes.
 
The land in question is on Baxi Road, stretching from Plot 31 to Plot 39 in Jinja City, adjacent to the hospital and Jinja Muslim Cemetery.

As the Jinja hospital authorities led by the Director, Dr Alfred Yayi, say the land belongs to them, the UMSC led by the District Kadhi,  Mr Ismail Adi Basoga, also claim ownership of the land in question.

Dr Yayi says they want to use the land to expand hospital facilities such as the regional blood bank, cardiac centre, dialysis centre, and cancer ward.

The UMSC, on the other hand, say they want to use the land to establish a prayer centre and shopping arcade that will generate income for them.

The hospital authorities say this land was given to them by the Uganda Land Commission but the UMSC say the land was donated to Muslims by former President Idi Amin Dada.

On March 12, the State Minister for Lands, Mr Sam Mayanja, inspected the disputed land and had a meeting with both the Muslim community and hospital authorities. They resolved that the land belonged to Muslims because they had been using it since 1927 as their cemetery.  But this prompted Jinja residents to protest on March 21 against Minister Mayanja’s directive of allocating land to Muslims.

Residents claimed that they could not accept the decision of the minister because the issue of land was resolved by court, which ruled in favour of the hospital in 2009

In response, the faithful led by Sheikh Basoga, went to the contested land and started conducting activities including praying and grading as a way of cementing their ownership.  The Uganda Land Commission responded by writing to both parties, inviting them for a meeting to iron out the impasse.

According to the letter signed by the Acting General Secretary of Uganda Land Commission, Mr Andrew Nyumba, the meeting is scheduled for April 17 in the Commission’s Boardroom.

According to the letter, the summons followed two meetings held on March 20 and 21 by the Uganda Land Commission that resolved the two parties should be invited.

“The purpose of this meeting is to forge a way forward on the impasse between the UMSC Jinja Branch and Jinja hospital over the subject land which is owned by Uganda Land Commission in trust for Jinja hospital.  UMSC is hereby directed to halt any activities on the subject land until the matter is resolved,’’ the letter further read.  Dr Yayi confirmed receiving the invitation to the effect.

“It is a good move because a matter like that needs parties to sit on a round table to forge a way forward,” he said.

Speaking at the Iftar Dinner organised by the Kyabazinga of Busoga William Gabula Nadiope  at Civil Service College at the weekend, the Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, appreciated Ms Rebecca Kadaga, the First Deputy Prime Minister, for intervening in the issue.

“There is an issue of our cemetery land, Muslims have started complaining about it but Ms Kadaga and other stakeholders are handling it and the issue will be sorted ,’’ he said.

Kadaga intervention
The letter dated April 3, signed by Ms Kadaga and addressed to the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, condemned Minister Mayanja’s directive of giving away land to Muslims. “I write in respect to the above property which was subject of a suit vide (HCCS No 93/2009, Uganda Land Commission vs UMSC.

Justice Michael Elubu ruled for the plaintiff and ordered UMSC and its agency from trespassing or interfering with the quiet procession of the suit land by the plaintiff,” part of the letter reads.

Ms Kadaga ordered Mr Mayanja to withdraw the order and reinstate the property to its status quo.

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