Muslims lose land battle with Jinja Hospital

Uganda Land Commission (ULC) has ordered Uganda Muslim Supreme Council to vacate the disputed land with Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH).

The four acre land is located on Nile Avenue, stretching from   Plot 31-39 in Jinja City adjacent to JRRH and Jinja Muslim Cemetery.

Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) had erected a perimeter fence around the contested land in addition to utilizing it through different activities including meetings, Islamic prayers.

Speaking to Monitor on Saturday, JRRH Chairperson Board of Governors Dr David Charles Mukisa said Muslims were ordered to vacate the land following a meeting.

“In a meeting we had in Kampala chaired by the ULC secretary, it was declared that the land belongs to ULC with JRRH as user entity. This was after all parties presented documents that had proof of ownership,’’ he said.

Dr Mukisa added that “the hospital was instructed to go ahead with its plans of redeveloping the land.”

“The title that ULC has for that land was given to the hospital,’’ he noted.

Hospital authorities say they want to utilize the land for construction of facilities including the regional blood bank, cardiac center, dialysis center and a cancer treatment unit.

Meanwhile, Friday’s meeting was reportedly attended by representatives from UMSC, JRRH, Ministry of Health and Jinja City Council.

Jinja District Kadhi Sheikh Ismail Adi Basoga earlier said: “After the meeting, I told them that I will release the official statement after meeting the Mufti of Uganda. We are still preparing for the final decision from the headquarters.”

 The UMSC say they want to use the land to establish a prayer center and shopping arcade to generate income.

Jinja City Clerk Edward Lwanga said an “urgent meeting will be held to decide the next step after the ruling by ULC.”

“The board of JRRH will sit with Muslims and the City authorities to decide on how the Muslims will access the cemetery because the road that connects the cemetery is in the middle of the contested land and court also ordered that it should be blocked,’’ he explained.

Background

In the Civil Suit 193, of October 6, 2009, between UMSC and ULC over ownership of the same land, Justice Michael Elubu, on April 18, 2022, ruled in favour of the Commission.

ULC had entrusted the possession of the land to JRRH.

On March 12, 2024, lands state minister Sam Mayanja visited the disputed land and resolved that it belongs to Muslims “because they have been using it since 1927 as a cemetery.”

This prompted Jinja residents to protest on March 21 against the minister’s directive.

On April 15, hundreds of patients remained unattended, as medics at JRRH in their medical uniforms laid down their tools to participate in a peaceful demonstration over the contested prime land.

On April 18, security organs led by Resident City District Commissioner Darius Nandinda announced that the contested land was out of bounds to both JRRH and Muslims and security had taken over, pending the Kampala meeting.