Jinja Muslims given half acre of hospital land

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The ministries of health ministry and lands have reached a consensus to end a 15-year cemetery land dispute with the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC).

UMSC had been claiming ownership of the 4.5 acres of land adjacent to the Muslim cemetery and the Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH).

However, a Civil Suit, number 93 of 2009 between the ULC and UMSC before the then Jinja high court judge, Michael Elubu, ruled that the land belonged to ULC as a trustee of government land.

Accordingly, the ULC declared the JRRH as the rightful owners of the land but still, leaders from the UMSC insisted that court wrongly awarded their land to the hospital saying they had occupied it for the last 92 years since 1932.

Since this court ruling, the two entities, JRRH and UMSC had been embroiled in a land dispute prompting the hospital management to contract the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) engineering brigade to fence off the contested land.

The construction of the perimeter wall left Muslims with no access road into the cemetery after its hind side was entirely closed.

In case of burying their loved ones, the Muslims improvised a makeshift ladder in and outside used to step on while conveying the dead bodies.

The letter

This was evidenced last week compelling the UMSC national chairperson, Prof. Dr. Muhamadi Lubega, to renew their demand to at least be given 1.5 acres as the hospital retained the rest.

In his October 23, 2024 letter to lands minister, Judith Nabakooba, Lubega indicated how the UMSC lost 4.5 acres of their cemetery land located on plots 31- 39 along Nile Avenue in Jinja city southern division to the hospital.

He, therefore, sought for her intervention to find a lasting solution by collaborating with the offices of the health ministry including that of the First deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs to facilitate a resolution.

Lubega’s letter referred to the closure of the facility as humiliating, unrealistic, dehumanising and unacceptable in society saying Muslims like other Ugandans deserved a better way to be buried or bury their loved ones.

“From my observation, the agitation and empathy over what is happening in Jinja is an alarming and appalling situation. We need to sit and resolve all this on a round table but of course, it is politically damaging for the Government as well,” reads the letter.

In light of the explanation, Lubega requested Nabakooba to use her good office together with the two ministries indicated to find space and intervene.

“Personally, I still believe we can have a win-win situation, the hospital retains like three acres of the land and the Muslims 1.5 acres for the entrance, easement to the limbo,” he suggested.

Lubega, who urged the Muslims to remain calm, asked Nabakooba to cause or call for a stakeholders meeting and find a quick and amicable long-lasting solution to the problem.

“Could you kindly call or cause a meeting for all stakeholders in this to find a quick and amicable and long-lasting solution to this problem,” he prayed.

Nabakooba's invitation 

Accordingly, Nabakooba, responded the following day by inviting key officials for a meeting to resolve the grant of access to the Muslim cemetery on the contested land.

“Following the recent incident concerning the above-described property which indicates that the grant of access to the Muslim cemetery has not been resolved, this is to invite you for a meeting on October 28, 2024, to resolve the matter at the locus,” reads the two-paragraph letter.

This was contained in her October 24, 2024 letter addressed to the chairpersons of the ULC, JRRH management board, Dr Charles Mukisa, the UMSC Jinja branch and also copied to the First Deputy Prime minister and minister for East African Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga and the Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, among others.

The visit to the cemetery

Accordingly, Nabakooba and health minister, Dr Ruth Aceng, visited the contested land before accessing the cemetery using makeshift ladders as the Muslim faithful glued on the walls chanting Allah Akbar with others holding placards.

Sadat Kintu (in blue jacket) taking Nabakooba (in green) and Aceng (in maroon around the cemetery land during their visit at the locus on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. (Photo by Jackie Nambogga)

After their fact-finding mission at the locus, the ministers and selected officials including security headed for a closed-door mediation meeting at the Jinja City Council chambers which concluded at 8:00pm.

Granting the permission

Commenting on the outcome, Nabakooba said they agreed that the Jinja Muslims be given half an acre out of the land owned by JRRH to create an easement to the cemetery and small parking for those who would be going for burial.

Since there were court judgments before with decisions taken, Nabakooba said they agreed not to go into legalities but put them aside and promote the spirit of co-existence, teamwork and brotherhood them aside.

“We have all agreed here that the legalities should be put aside we look at co-existence and the mediation spirit which brought us here and issues of compensation will not be there we only resolved that half an acre be earmarked so that these two communities can co-exist,” she said.

Also, Nabakooba said they resolved that the hospital makes a formal consent of no objection to have the agreed land given to the Muslims.

The Muslims would be required to get a surveyor to curve off the said land and the physical planner to offer guidance on the proper use of the given land.

“Since we are in a city and remember every area in Uganda is a planning area, the experts have to offer guidance,” she stated.

Get land elsewhere

Nabakooba observed that the cemetery seemed to be full with no plan for expansion and as a result, they agreed that the UMSC of Jinja looks for another 10 acres of land elsewhere to have a bigger space and plan for their cemetery.

She said the Muslims needed to plan 20 years ahead and in case there was government land in the entire greater Jinja it would be given to them and if it meant getting it privately with no encumbrances, she would write to President Yoweri Museveni to purchase it for them.

“We have heard that an acre in Jinja is sh40m and that means the president will give use sh400m to purchase cemetery land for the Muslims so that we put the matter to rest,” she said.

She said the rest of the remaining land, the hospital intends to put up a cancer and heart institute including a blood bank for the region.

“We believe this is precious land that has to be kept securely for the pending projects,” she said.

Meanwhile, Aceng also clarified that they were not overturning the court resolutions but their meeting was on two issues of lack of access to the cemetery and parking space which they required in writing.

Aceng said the controversial land belonged to her ministry but in the spirit of peace, they realised that Muslims needed access to their limbo as an immediate solution and agreed together with the hospital board and management to provide half an acre.

The offered land was in a triangular area running along Clive and Baxi roads and the giveaway became functional immediately by following the agreed procedure.

Aceng said UMSC would not be subjected to compensating the hospital and that both ministries would follow up and ensure that the processes were brought to completion.

Deputy Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Muhammadi Ali Waiswa, urged the Muslim community to receive the resolutions with acceptance since what they were yearning for was access to their cemetery.

“For the spirit of peaceful co-existence and unity in our midst, we need to accept it and thank God for what we have so far scored,” he said.

Waiswa hailed Nabakooba for seeing it necessary to look for an alternative land for the expansion of their cemetery.

“Indeed, as we visited the cemetery, it seemed filled up and for future purposes, we shall need an alternative and we pray that this is realized in time,” he noted. Meanwhile, Lubega said the portion was better than nothing, saying this was God’s plan.