The idiomatic expression, “Half a loaf is Better Than None”, attributed to the Roman writer and statesman Cicero (106-43BCE), who wrote: “Melius est dimidium panis quam nullus”, which in essence means appreciating what you have, even if it’s not perfect or that even a small advantage or gain is preferable to none, is now making a lot of sense among a section of the Muslim community in Jinja City.
In what has been termed a breakthrough resolution, Health Minister Hon Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng and her Lands counterpart Hon Judith Nabakooba agreed to donate a half acre of land from Jinja Regional Referral Hospital to the Muslim community for use as an access road and parking lot.
This decision follows months of negotiations and tensions between the hospital and the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) over the disputed land adjacent to the Jinja Muslim Cemetery on Nalufenya Road.
The resolution was arrived at during a stakeholders meeting held at the Jinja City Hall on Monday, 28th October, 2024.
Jinja RCC Richard Gulume Balyainho, who chaired the meeting, told the attentive audience that relationships matter more and called for members to always prioritize maintaining harmony and goodwill over insisting on being correct.
“…we should be willing to yield or compromise; even if we think and believe we are right ,always consider the bigger picture and long-term consequences, have value and understanding…”,Gulume appealed.
On Monday, Dr. Aceng travelled to Jinja City for a closed-door meeting with key stakeholders, including Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba, Town Clerk Edward Lwanga, Hospital Director Dr. Alfred Yayi, and Hospital Board Chairperson Dr. Charles David Mukisa.
After a four-hour discussion, the parties agreed to release half an acre of land to the Muslim community in the spirit of harmony and peaceful coexistence.
This resolution, according to Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, aims to bring an end to the long-standing dispute and promote harmony between the hospital and the Muslim community.
“…it was my initiative to take the minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development so that we solve the impasse and I am happy the matter is now behind us…”, Dr Aceng said in a brief statement.
With the land issue resolved, both parties can now focus on their respective goals, ensuring the well-being of the community and the hospital’s operations.
This resolution demonstrates the effectiveness of collaborative dispute resolution mechanisms in Jinja City, which has been described as the epicentre of land conflicts in Uganda, which prioritize reconciliation and community interests
Those who attended included representatives from the Muslim community like the Regional Kadhi Dr Hussein Bowa,Jinja District Kadhi Sheikh Ismail Basoga, and Prof Dr Mohammed LubegaUMSC National chairman.
Others in attendance were the Kiira RPC SSP Charles Nsaba, DPC SP Innocent Mubahangizi, Southern Division Mayor, His Worship Hassan Ashraf and officials from the two ministry headquarters.
After the meeting, Richard Gulume Balyainho urged journalists in the Busoga sub region to adopt peace-building reporting and emphasized the need to foster harmony and understanding rather than fueling division and conflict.
This approach, he says, encourages reporters and radio presenters to move beyond sensationalized football commentary-style reporting and instead focus on constructive dialogue and fact-based storytelling.
“…by focusing on peaceful reporting, our media practitioners can help bridge gaps between communities and promote social cohesion, otherwise sensationalized reporting can exacerbate conflicts, while peace-building reporting can help resolve issues peacefully…”,the RCC stressed.
Gulume, known as a press friendly leader, also highlighted the alarming trend of targeting journalists with blackmail, intimidation, and threats, simply for doing their job.
By Tuesday morning, representatives from the Muslim community and staff from the JRRH alongside the City Council authorities went to the site to witness the survey of the 0.5 acre.
The UPDF Engineering Brigade that has been building the security wall will then break down the section and put another wall to ensure that the hospital land is not encroached on.
What You Need to Know:
The Court judgment and decree vide Civil Suit No 093 of 2009 resolved in favour of ULC declaring the land situated on plots 31-39 Nile Avenue belongs to the government for use by the JRRH.
The High Court Judge, Justice Michael Elubu ruled in favor of ULC and ordered a permanent injunction against the UMSC and its agency from trespassing or interfering with quiet possession of the suit land by the ULC which appeared as the plaintiff.
Justice Michael Elubu also issued an eviction order against the UMSC and its agents to vacate the suit land and that the road that had been illegally constructed was to be closed.
The Muslims claim they have used the land for decades but do not have a single document to prove their legal ownership.
It’s hoped the resolution will now help to settle the dust, which has caused a lot of anxiety in the city.
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