MUSLIMS in Jinja City under the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) have blamed the current stalemate with the Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH) over land on officials at the Uganda Land Commission (ULC).
The Jinja District Khadhi Sheikh Ismail Adi Basoga, in his petition asked the Minister of State for Lands Dr Sam Mayanja to intervene in the stingy matter that has taken more than 20 years.
Sheikh Basoga says the Muslims under UMSC have since 1932 used the land situated on plot 49-55 as a cemetery and by extension and without interruption for easement, parking and pre-burial rites of plot 31-39 Baxi Road approximately 4.7 acres, leaving 36 acres for the regional hospital.
In his petition letter dated 26 January, 2024, Shiekh Basoga laments how the Muslim leadership has been frustrated by the ULC which has stubbornly refused to honor its own commitment.
“…believable information reaching the Jinja Muslim Community is to the effect that the Commission is currently willing to allocate our land reserved for parking, pre-burial activities and easement to the cemetery to a group of individuals…’,Sheikh Basoga stated.
Citing a catalogue of documents and correspondences, Sheikh Ismail Adi Basoga says the Muslims in Jinja are riled up at the way officials at the ULC simply ignore them and are not bothered to have a simple courtesy of either responding to their concerns or issuing official letters.
The ULC in a letter dated 27th June, 2011 wrote to the Commissioner Physical Planning Department of the Ministry of Lands requesting for Planning Comments on the land in question.
“…under ULC Min 2/2010(a) of 11/3/2010 Uganda land Commission allocated a parcel of land to Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Jinja branch…’reads in part of the one page letter written by Paul Idude who signed for the Secretary Uganda land Commission.
Years later ,ULC issued another letter asking the Commissioner Surveys and Mapping, Entebbe to authorize a private company(firm) to carry out the survey works and thereafter forward the corresponding sets of certified deed plans to enable them(ULC) process the title for the Muslims.
The letter dated 4th May,2015 was signed by Baker Mugaino who signed for the Secretary Uganda land Commission also cited the same sitting of 11 march,2010 under Min 2/2010(a)(21)which allocated the referenced land to the UMSC Jinja.
Not giving up, the Jinja District Khadhi of the day Sheikh Juma Katega (RIP) generated another letter to the Chairman ULC requesting the Commissioner Surveys and Mapping for issuance of an Instruction to Survey (IS) the land under conflict.
“…this is to humbly request you to communicate to the Commissioner of Surveys and mapping to issue an IS to facilitate a survey of the land and eventually issue us with a Title Certificate for the said land…”, Katega requested.
A copy of the letter, with reference UMSCJMD/GEN/2015 obtained by this website indicates that it was written on 2nd October, 2015, interestingly it was stamped and received by the Uganda Land Commission a month before on 5th September,2015(which could have been an error by the Khadhi’s secretary.)
Earlier on, the then Jinja Municipal Mayor Hajji Mohammed Basweri Kezaala had written a letter urging the ULC to formally allocate the land to the Muslim Community who had patiently and painstakingly waited for the same.
Kezaala who is now serving in diplomatic circles as the Deputy Head of Mission in Qatar noted with concern in his 11 January,2010 letter that the Muslims were not only tired of waiting for formalization but frustrated that there was a sinister move against them.
“…in the interest of peace and stability in the Municipality I head, I request that the land be formally allocated to the Muslim Community for development and protection as an easement to the cemetery…”,the former mayor pleaded.
Indeed the Minister of State for Lands, Dr Samuel Mayanja has now stepped in to correct what he calls the ‘wrongs and unfairness’ in which the Muslims in Jinja have been subjected to by the Uganda Land Commission.
While the Ministry of Health under which the JRRH falls is also trying to press some key buttons to ensure the land remains for its expansion including establishing a Regional Blood Bank for Busoga, Regional Cancer Centre and the Doctors Mess, among others, the matter remains very sensitive.
Most of the big-name politicians from Jinja and Busoga do not want to be openly seen advocating for any one side fearing the backlash that can be used against them during election campaigns ahead of 2026.
Some analysts recommend that the land be shared equally between the Muslim Community and the JRRH because the residents and people of Busoga as a whole require both facilities which can co exist.
Sources also intimated to us that the matter has already reached State House where President Yoweri Museveni will have the last say, should the relevant offices fail to handle since the issue has political implications that can be exploited by some desperate opposition groups.
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