Mbale City accused of encroaching on IUIU land

The outgoing Rector of Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Dr Ahmed Kaweesa Ssengendo, has asked government to restrain Mbale City Council from encroaching on its 218 acres of land.

The university says the land was donated by the government for the institution’s expansion in 1996.

Dr Ssengendo said while developing a master plan for the land, they found that part of it had been taken away by the city council for the construction of a railway line and a ridge road.

“The process of developing a master plan ended last month and it’s now awaiting approval but when we looked at Mbale master plan, we recognised that someone had taken away part of our land, wanting to put a railway line and ridge road,” he said.

Dr Ssengendo said the university plans to establish a faculty of engineering and technology and other facilities on the land.

“If you continue with that plan, its means, we cannot continue any further. Therefore, we request that facilities should be put outside the university land,” he said. Dr Ssengendo, who has been the university rector for the past 15 years, made the remarks during the handover ceremony to the new rector, Associate Prof Ismail Simbwa Gyagenda. The function took place at the university’s main campus in Mbale at the weekend.

But Mr Mutwalibi Zandya, the acting city mayor, said they will cooperate with the university on the land ownership for the good of Mbale and Bugisu at large.
 “We value the presence of this university because many of our sons and daughters are now graduates which would not have been possible,” he said.

Prof Gyagenda has been the vice rector in-charge of academics. Dr Sengendo was also recently appointed as the assistant secretary-general of economic affairs of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

He urged the new administration led by Prof Gyagenda to work as a team to take the university to greater heights.

[email protected]