A PLAN by the Korean Government through its Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to construct a multimillion dollar regional blood Bank for Busoga has suffered an early miscarriage following controversy surrounding land.
According to the Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH) Principal Hospital Administrator David Ssemakula, construction was meant to kick off early 2025 on land that was already available.
Ssemakula says the land earmarked for the project is situated on Plot 31-39 along Nile Avenue next to the Jinja School of Nursing and Midwifery on one side and JRRH on the other hand.
The land in question was last week, the Minister of State for Lands Dr Samuel Mayanja verbally handed over to the Muslim community who hitherto, had been using part of the land to access their cemetery, known as Jinja Muslim Cemetery.
The pronouncement has generated controversy because it was made against a High Court ruling which was made in favour of the hospital, which is under the Ministry of Health, something Dr Mayanja should have been very well aware of.
By Monday 18th March,2023 some activities had already started on the site where a grader sponsored by some powerful Muslim tycoons who have been operating behind the scene are now coming openly to prepare for some earth works.
According to documents, the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) as plaintiff and counter defendant dragged Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) as defendant and counter claimant in a civil suit number 93 of 2009 over alleged trespass.
The matter presided over by Justice Michael Elubu made his ruling 12 years later on 18 April,2022 which was in favor of the ULC with costs against the UMSC.
In their argument, ULC says the JRRH as a user department had planned to use the land in question for expansion by putting developments which included the construction of a Regional Cancer Institute, Intern Doctors Mess, Orthopaedic Workshop, Physiotherapy Unit, Diagnostic Unit and a Recreation Hall, among others.
“…in view of the above this court deems it proper that the plaintiff’s user department Hospital is entitled to an award of Uganda shillings One hundred and fifty Million(150,000/=) be borne by the defendant…”reads part of the Justice Elobu ruling.
The 27 page ruling also ordered that the sum of general damages attract an interest of 15% per annum from the date of filing the suit until full payment.
Officials at the Old Kampala based UMSC did not appeal against the ruling, implying they have to pay the costs whose interests are accruing as time passes by.
Instead they have opted for a political approach which appears to have succeeded, albeit with legal swords hanging over their heads which have to be ‘appeased’ in order to avoid a boomerang.
We sought a comment from officials of the hospital represented by David Ssemakula who says they will seek guidance from the Ministry of Health which has the legal department on the way forward.
“…we shall communicate to the ministry headquarters who will liaise with its counterpart in the ministry of lands to see how to resolve the matter, otherwise this is a training hospital, which needs more land for expansion…”Ssemakula says.
What You Need to Know:
Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, the largest in the region sitting on about 38 acres of land) ,caters for patients covering the entire traditional Busoga region with 11 districts of Jinja, Iganga, Kamuli, Buyende, Luka, Mayuge, Bugweri, Namutumba, Bugiri, Kaliro,Namayingo and Jinja City. It also receives patients from Buikwe, Mukono, Kayunga and other places.
The hospital’s full staff capacity stands at around 1,200 staff.
Currently it has 380 staff under the government of Uganda, 83 under the USAID Uganda Health System Strengthening Activity (UHSS). The Private Wing has 15 staff.
The hospital needs more staff, at least 70 new ones to cope with the ever increasing demands for health personnel. The Hospital is headed by Dr Alfred Yayi as the Director who works with a number of senior personnel including consultants and specialists.
The Hospital has several departments, namely Finance and Administration, Human Resource, Surgery, Obstetric and Gynecology, Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, Out Patient Department and Community Health among others.
Uganda Land Commission (ULC) is a semi autonomous land verification monitoring and preservation organization, owned by the government with the mandate to document, verify, preserve and maintain land owned and or administered by the government.
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