Security halts eviction of Jinja Regional Referral Hospital staff
The lack of proper land titles has made these properties vulnerable to land grabbers, putting hospital assets at risk.
Jinja: The ongoing dispute between Jinja Regional Referral Hospital and Jinja City Council over prime property at Plot 47, School Lane has taken a new turn as the Jinja Security Committee intervenes to stop the eviction of hospital staff.
The clarification followed a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, attended by city and hospital officials.
Jinja Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Gulume Balyaino, announced that the security committee directed City Land Board Secretary Abubaker Kirunda to withdraw the eviction notice issued on January 14, 2025.
Gulume explained that the government of Idi Amin Dada originally allocated the premises to the hospital over 50 years ago, making the eviction unjustified.
Additionally, the security team has summoned Bachu Abdul Aziz, an individual who reportedly purchased the property in 2001, to verify the legality of the transaction. Documents indicate that Aziz, a resident of Iganga, acquired the property but has never utilized it since the purchase.
Gulume reassured the public that Jinja Regional Referral Hospital has already written to the Ministry of Finance to formalize the allocation and secure a legal land title for the facility.
Until the official documentation is processed, the premises will remain under hospital control, and the eviction letters have been retracted.
Dr. David Charles Mukisa, the Hospital Board Chairman, welcomed the security committee’s intervention, confirming that the hospital and city authorities had reached a mutual agreement in favor of the hospital.
He noted that over 10 hospital staff members reside in the disputed building, but the hospital faces a serious accommodation crisis.
Jinja Regional Referral Hospital employs 1,269 staff members. However, only 320 medical staff have access to hospital-provided housing, just 25% of the workforce.
Mukisa emphasized that the security committee’s decision ensures the hospital retains the property without discrimination against any staff members.
Jinja City Town Clerk, Lwanga Charles, clarified that the eviction letter had no legal basis since Jinja City lacks authority to evict medical staff.
He stressed the need for better coordination between the City Land Board and local authorities to prevent confusion and potential loss of government property.
Lwanga also assured the public that the Jinja Land Board will meet next week to discuss the situation and monitor further developments.
The property in question was allocated to Jinja Hospital staff in the 1970s when President Idi Amin Dada expelled Asians from Uganda. Since then, hospital staff have used it as staff quarters.
Jinja Hospital has several other properties allocated to it during that period, but many remain without formal documentation.
Some of these properties include; a dilapidated building near Nalufenya Children’s Ward, another unmaintained property on Gabula Road, which has not been painted since the 1970s.
The lack of proper land titles has made these properties vulnerable to land grabbers, putting hospital assets at risk.
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