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Songolo, holding a microphone in front, said that the cemetery had become a controversial matter requiring President Yoweri Museveni's intervention to rescue them
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By Our Reporter
JINJA - The Muslim community in Jinja District is urging President Yoweri Museveni to intervene in a 14-year dispute over a 4.6-acre cemetery, part of which has been lost to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH). The cemetery, established in 1932 and managed by the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), sits along Nile Avenue in Jinja City's Southern Division, adjacent to the hospital.
Jinja District Khadhi, Sheikh Ismail Basoga Addi, has accused the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) of escalating the conflict by allocating part of the cemetery land to the hospital. This has led to the loss of key sections, including the main entrance and an area used for parking and pre-burial rituals.
During Juma prayers last Friday in Jinja, Sheikh Basoga criticized the ULC for what he termed "double standards," noting that the cemetery had been in use for over 90 years. “We have used this land since 1932, and even the President himself has visited the cemetery through the same entrance now being fenced off by the UPDF,” he said.
Basoga (right) flanked by Sheikh Edirisa Kizigo, the chairperson of Muslims in Jinja district
Despite a directive from former Jinja City Resident Commissioner Darius Nandinda halting any development on the contested two-acre section, the hospital has continued construction, with the UPDF engineering brigade erecting a perimeter wall under heavy security.
Dr. Alfred Yayi, Director of JRRH, defended the move, stating that the land legally belongs to the hospital as ruled by the High Court in 2009. He pointed to a meeting earlier this year where ULC clarified that the land had never been allocated to UMSC. “This is government land, and JRRH is the user entity,” Dr. Yayi explained.
However, UMSC national executive member, Sheikh Safi Songolo, condemned the hospital's actions, calling on President Museveni to intervene, stressing the cemetery’s religious and cultural significance. “Where does the hospital expect us to pass when burying our loved ones?” he asked, emphasizing the community’s stake in the matter. The Busoga Regional Khadhi, Dr. Hussein Muhammad Bowa, echoed Songolo’s sentiments, describing the land's allocation to the hospital as a disregard for the Muslim community’s cultural heritage.
State Minister for Lands, Sam Mayanja, visited the site in March 2024, siding with UMSC. He highlighted the cemetery’s long-standing importance, first designated for the Ahmadiyya Muslim sect in 1927 and later handed over to the broader Muslim community by former President Idi Amin in 1974.
The dispute continues, with local Muslims expressing frustration at the lack of legislative support and calling for vigilance in future elections.
Torch Media Africa
