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JINJA

Hundreds of patients remained unattended to on Monday, April 15, 2024, as staff at the Jinja Regional Referral Hospital demonstrated over what they called grabbing of the facility's land.

Patients and their caretakers were seen seated in waiting shades while others were moved out to try and to seek assistance elsewhere.

“I came for treatment but I have not been attended to since morning, we were told doctors are striking,” Jackson Kasadha of Walukuba in Jinja city said.

“I have nothing to do but go home and take pain killers, I will try my luck again when the situation has returned to normal,” he added.

The hospital is currently locked in a dispute with the Jinja Muslim community over a 4.5-acre piece of prime land along Bax road in the city’s southern division.

It is bordered on the southern side by Jinja hospital and seats next to the Muslim cemetery which separates it from Jinja School of Nursing and Midwifery.

The dispute has dragged on for more than a decade but the matter was exacerbated by a recent pronouncement by lands state minister Dr Sam Mayanja that the land belonged to the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC).

“Records indicate that this land belongs to UMSC and the first Muslim to be buried here was in 1927. With time, there were changes in 1934 and 1962 but still it is clearly stated that it belongs to the UMSC,” he said before advising Muslims to open boundaries and process its title.

Medics lay down their tools

To show their anger, medical workers and support staff on Monday locked the main entrance to the hospital and stood in groups while drumming and singing in protest of the minister’s decision.

Nurses and other staff at Jinja regional referral hospital during their strike on Monday April 15, 2024. (Photos By Charles Kakamwa)

No vehicle/motocycle was allowed access to the hospital except those carrying patients in critical condition.

The group calling themselves Land Redemption Movement carried placards with messages: “Muslims are good people but land grabbers are evil” and “We want a regional blood bank not a cemetery/arcade”.

Another read “Save Jinja hospital land, land grabbers are selfish".

This is the second demonstration since Mayanja handed the land to the Muslim community.

Hours later, hospital director Dr Alfred Yayi, town clerk Edward Lwanga and Resident City Commissioner Darius Nandinda called a meeting with the rioting medics to try and normalise the situation.

More land has been grabbed

During the meeting, Milton Mwisaka, the speaker of the staff, explained that the strike was meant to express their anger over blatant failure by concerned authorities to prevail over encroachers.

He listed other properties that have been grabbed as a plot on Bax road adjacent the hospital which previously served as the psychiatrist unit and land at the Nalufenya Hospital, the children’s wing of Jinja hospital.

“Our action is meant to let the world know that land on which the cancer unit, heart institute and regional blood bank are meant to be built is being grabbed for establishment of a petrol station and arcades,” he said.

“It is unfortunate that such illegalities are committed against government institutions as everybody is unbothered,” he added.

Mwisaka further said that there were some individuals hiding behind the Muslim community with intentions of grabbing the hospital land.

Security takes over

Addressing the protesters, Nandinda said the city security committee had taken charge of the site and that none of the parties would be allowed there until the matter is resolved.

He added that a meeting had been called in Kampala on Wednesday April 17, 2024, to be attended by the Uganda Land Commission, UMSC and Jinja Hospital among other key stakeholders and was hopeful an amicable solution would be reached.

Commenting about an injunction and eviction order by Justice Michael Elubu against the Muslims, Nandinda said the order cannot be enforced unless it is cleared by the Inspector General of Police.

“Let them go through the right procedure, we shall enforce the order,” he said.

Since morning, the medical workers only resumed work at about 2.00 pm.

Muslims take

Following Mayanja’s pronouncement, the Muslim community took charge of the land and erected temporary structures where they hold their Friday prayers including the recently concluded Idd el fitr.

They have since built a perimeter wall fence around the land as plans are made to fully develop it.

“Having our prayers here signifies that the property is fully ours following the minister’s directive,” Busoga regional khadi Dr Muhammed Bowa told the faithful.

Shekih Ismael Adi Basoga, the Jinja district Khadi, said they intend to construct a modern mosque and other structures for income-generation on the land.