MPs clear Dr.Ssali in Kitante school land deal

Jun 25, 2015

Renowned fertility specialist Dr. Ssali Tamale has been cleared to redevelop the Kitante primary school land into a modern hospital.

By Paul Kiwuuwa               

Renowned fertility specialist Dr. Ssali Tamale has been cleared to redevelop the Kitante primary school land into a modern hospital.


Ssali told the select committee of Parliament investigating takeover of school land in Kampala Wednesday that he plans to construct a sh75b modern hospital, which will offer treatment of sickle cell patients and help couples who cannot conceive naturally to have children through the test tube method (IVF).

“This will reduce stigma of not having babies and reduce on the family and marriage breakages," he said.

“The committee is satisfied with your project proposals; provision of health services will benefit the whole country,” the committee chairperson, Robert Migadde (Buvuma Islands) said after Ssali's explanation.

Ssali put up a spirited defense of the project amid allegations he grabbed the five acres from the school.

“I never grabbed the land. It was a presidential directive; President Museveni told the Uganda land Commission to find land in Kampala city to establish a modern fertility and sickle cell hospital," he explained

The select committee is probing the loss of land belonging to public schools in the city.

Ssali was accompanied by his wife, Kate Tamale; lawyer Stanley Omony, Margret Mutumba, project manager and some administrators of women’s Hospital international and fertility center.

The visibly disturbed Ssali stunned legislators when he said he could not make his presentation before the committee but preferred his lawyer Omony to do so on his behalf.

The committee chairperson (Miggadde) objected to the request saying it was against the terms and conditions of the probe.

Terego county MP Kassiano Wadri said the rules of procedure did not allow the counsel to answer the questions because they were directly asked to Ssali.

Ssali showed the MPs a letter dated 27th October 2005, signed by President Museveni, addressed to the then minister of lands Kahinda Otafiire, and copied to the then chairman Uganda Land commission, Mayanja Nkanji.

The land in contention is located is located off Yusuf Lule road, plot 4, channel close next to Kampala Academy Junior School, Kitante Kampala.

Museveni’s letter said: “The benefits of establishing such a specialized medical facility in Uganda cannot be emphasized. It will certainly avoid the need for Ugandans to go for such specialized medical treatment abroad, and the high cost of treatment in foreign currencies.”

It went on: “Patients within the east and central African region will now spend their money in Uganda for such treatment. I therefore direct that the land identified by Dr.Ssali Tamale be allocated immediately to him for the establishment of the fertility and sickle cell hospital.”

The facility will offer  modern surgical technology, internationally recognized, to women who suffer from fibroids.
The hospital will also train medical doctors, and health workers within the east African region to carry out research, care, treatments and make awareness of the sickle cell.

Iganga woman MP Olivia Kwagala asked if the poor Ugandan would afford such a facility, to which Kate Ssali responded:

“Since government had helped them to establish the facility, the services would be subsidized and accessible to common Ugandans.”

Ssali said he had been given them a go ahead to change the sewerage lines apparently located on the land under contention, to pave way for the construction of the seven storied modern hospital complex.

Ssali is a trained obstetrician gynecologist facility specialist, treating patients with infertility problems.

He set up the first gynecology and fertility center in Bukoto Kampala.

President Museveni commissioned the invitro fertilization ( IVF) facility in 2005 at Bukoto a city suburb.

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