The contested building, located on Plot 47, School Lane, near Jinja Senior Secondary School, has housed essential hospital staff for decades.
A heated dispute has erupted between Jinja Regional Referral Hospital and Jinja City Council (JCC) over a colonial-era property earmarked for sale by the city's land board.
The contested building, located on Plot 47, School Lane, near Jinja Senior Secondary School, has housed essential hospital staff for decades.
The controversy ignited when the Jinja City Land Board recently advertised the property for sale in newspapers, attracting multiple potential buyers.
Hospital officials, led by Director Dr. Alfred Yayi, have fiercely opposed the move, citing the urgent need for staff accommodation and future expansion to enhance healthcare services.
Dr. Yayi has formally petitioned the city authorities, pleading for the property to remain under the hospital's control.
"I request that this plot be reserved for staff accommodation and any other developments to support public health service delivery. Efforts are already underway to formalize the hospital's ownership," he stated.
However, Jinja City Land Board Secretary Abubaker Kirunda Menya remains unwavering, confirming that the sale process is already in motion.
"The property was advertised, and several interested developers have responded," Menya noted in a letter defending the board's decision.
Legal Mind Weighs In
Frank Bwire, a legal expert on land matters in Jinja City, says under the law, Jinja Hospital has been occupying this property illegally since their lease expired in 1994.
"If the documents I have seen are genuine, the Jinja Regional Referral Hospital ceased being referred to as sitting tenants in 1994 because that's when the lease expired and they did not renew it. They haven't been paying any rent, no ground rent, so they slept on their jobs," Bwire said.
He advises both parties to sit and resolve the matter amicably. "If Jinja Hospital still has interest in this property, they should reapply to the Council formally for consideration. Otherwise, the City Land Board was right to advertise it."
When asked whether it wasn't right for the City Land Board to first write to the sitting tenants before advertising the property, Bwire explained that such action could only be taken if the tenants had fulfilled their obligations.
"Under the new law guiding landlords and tenants, the hospital ceased being a sitting tenant legally in 1994," he said.
Tensions Escalate
The Jinja Hospital management board, led by Chairperson Dr. David Charles Mukisa, has issued a strong warning to Jinja City Council, threatening legal action and mass protests by health workers.
Dr. Mukisa criticised Jinja City Council Town Clerk Edward Lwanga for failing to use his dual role--serving on both the hospital board and the city council--to mediate the conflict.
"We expected Lwanga's position to bridge the gap between the hospital and the city council, ensuring cooperation rather than confrontation," Dr. Mukisa said.
Hospital officials have also threatened to withdraw services they offer to Jinja City Council, including the hospital mortuary, if the City goes ahead to sell the contested property.
By law, Jinja City Council is required to operate its own mortuary, yet it continues to rely on Jinja Hospital's facilities.
"For decades, we have provided mortuary services for the city without compensation. The least they can do is respect our institution rather than grabbing our property under dubious technicalities," Dr. Mukisa added.
The dispute has put Jinja City Council's leadership under scrutiny, with allegations of land grabbing and corruption surfacing.
Peter Kisambira, a board member at Jinja Hospital and also the Chairperson of the Finance and Development Committee, condemned the sale, stating that land-grabbing syndicates are suffocating Jinja.
"We are tired of mafias sitting behind computers, identifying and fraudulently selling off public properties for personal gain. Mafias are soon taking over Jinja City," Kisambira declared.
At a press briefing, Jinja Hospital Principal Hospital Administrator David Semakula quoted former Director General of Health Services, Prof. Francis Gervase Omaswa: "Health is made at home and treated at health facilities."
Semakula used this message to remind city leaders that healthcare should take precedence over financial interests.
"We have over 1,269 staff, but we house only 10%. We need more staff accommodation, so it is not proper to take from us the little we have," Semakula stated.
He emphasized the importance of housing staff near the hospital for quick response in case of any emergency.
"Sickness does not discriminate. Anyone can need hospital care at any time. Our priority should be ensuring quality healthcare, not chasing wealth," he emphasized.
A History of Contested Property
Available documents, which Nile Post has obtained copies of, indicate that the contested building belonged to Narian Singh, who got a 49-year lease from 1947, which expired in 1994. Since then, no entity or individual has applied for another lease.
The property was given to Jinja Hospital staff in the 1970s when President Idi Amin Dada expelled Asians from Uganda. Since then, Jinja Hospital staff have been occupying it as staff quarters.
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Jinja Hospital has many properties given to them by President Idi Amin, but the hospital management has not formalized ownership.
Among those is the property near Nalufenya Children's Ward, which is in a dilapidated state, and another building on Gabula Road that has never received a coat of paint since the 1970s.
This has given Jinja City gullible land grabbers a leeway to scavenge on the hospital's properties.
According to Peter Kisambira, a member of the hospital board, so far five prime properties owned by the hospital have been grabbed.
This is not the first time Jinja Hospital has fought to protect its land. In 2024, the hospital was embroiled in a dispute with the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) over a contested plot near the hospital and a Muslim cemetery.
The Uganda Land Commission later resolved the matter, allocating 0.5 acres to the UMSC for funeral parking.
As tensions continue to escalate, all eyes are on the unfolding battle between Jinja Regional Referral Hospital and Jinja City Council. Will the city's leadership push through with the sale, or will the hospital's fight to safeguard its facilities succeed?
For now, Jinja residents wait anxiously as the fate of the historic property hangs in the balance.
