WAKISO – A Buganda Kingdom royal family has asked Parliament not to approve the construction of the UGX1.4 trillion specialized hospital in Lubowa, Wakiso District until they are compensated.
In a petition dated 5th March to Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, the petitioners, who include Steven Saava Kikonyogo, Prince Jjunju Fredrick, Nakalaali Abudratif Ssebirumbi Sirimani and Nawango Mohama, say the land on which the hospital was originally owned by them and that government has not resolved the encumbrances on it before moving ahead with the hospital project.
“All transactions on that land were made illegally and fraudulently and in bad faith with the view alienating the land from the estate,” reads part of the petition.
“It is only that the family of Yusuf Kiweewa is considered and compensated for the developments on block 269 (where the hospital is proposed),” the petition added.
According to the Royals, who are descendants of Prince Yusuf Ssuuna Kiwewa who was one of the sons of King Suuna, the procedure in which the Ministry of Health acquired the land did not include the rightful owners of the property that is comprised of Block 269 at Lubowa and registered at Volume No.273 on final certificate 18570 PC No. 6726, Folio 15 Kyadondo Wakiso-Mengo.
They say the estate is being managed by Princes Jjunju Freddrick James, John Bemba, Kimbugwe. K. Nakibinge, Joseph Kiyimba, Princesses Victoria Luwedde, Mariam Namusisi Nassiwa and Rosemary Nakamanya.
The petition is bound to be a drawback to the project that government wants approved immediately. On February 25, President Yoweri Museveni wrote to Ms Kadaga, asking her to expeditiously approve the construction of the specialised Hospital.
“I wish to confirm my unquestionable support for the International Specialised Hospital of Uganda and request Parliament to expedite its consideration of the Project and accordingly, approve its financing arrangements, if they are in line with the law,” reads the President’s letter in part.
The royal family has over the last eight years laid claim to the land.
However, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Atwine has always insisted that the land in question is rightfully owned by the government.
“About 25 years ago, the Joint Clinical Research Institute bought that land from Mitchel Courts. There has been no contest until when we started grading the land. Some people are bent on jeopardising every government project. The same people are doing the same at Kawolo Hospital and they have frustrated the contractor who had started the work,” Dr Atwine said last year.
