A section of residents in Tororo District have claimed part of Tororo hospital land, Daily Monitor has learnt.
The locals say the land in Nyangole “A” Cell belongs to their forefathers.
Mr Stephen Olebe, a resident, said they are demanding compensation from the district.
“Telling me that I have encroached on hospital land is an insult because I am the one demanding compensation from the district. They are now accusing us of having encroached on our own land,” he said.
A whistleblower also accused the senior management staff of selling plots to private developers.
The chairperson of the hospital management committee, Mr Peter Ekikina, however, said government through Uganda Land Commission, acquired the land in the 1930s to house a treatment unit for the wounded soldiers of World War II.
“The land remained under management of the hospital up to date but we were surprised that some people are now claiming its ownership,” Mr Ekikina said.
He said records indicate that during acquisition, all land owners were compensated.
“This land belongs to the hospital legally and we don’t know the circumstances under which these land grabbers found their way into this land. We want the anti-corruption unit to investigate who allocated these pieces of land,” Mr Ekikina said.
He added: “As board, we have a duty to safeguard public land which is meant to cater for continuous expansion of the hospital.”
Daily Monitor also learnt that the hospital had the proposal to relocate its staff houses to the disputed land after the current one got affected by the ongoing construction of the Standard Gauge Railway.
Mr Leo Madango, a resident, said the hospital land has clear boundaries.
“We have co-existed with the hospital without any problem and recently, some people decided to temper the boundary marks for their selfish reasons,” Mr Madango said.
Mr George Mabonga, the village chairperson, said most of the people being accused of grabbing the land were introduced to his office by some of the hospital senior officials.
“I don’t think that these people started developing on this land without the knowledge of the hospital authorities because what I know is that all their plans were approved by the Tororo Municipal Council including the titling because almost all of them have surveyed their land,” he said.
The hospital medical superintendent, Dr Thomas Ochar, said most of the encroachers at one point requested the hospital administration to allow them put up temporary structures.
“We were, however, surprised when they went ahead to put up permanent structures including transferring ownership into their names,” Mr Ochar said.
He added: “They came to us requesting to put up temporary structures and we allowed them but am surprised that they are accusing us of having sold them the land, which is not true.”
Way forward
The assistant chief administrative officer in charge of health and production, Ms Samali Sabano, who also visited the disputed land, said they have asked the district staff surveyor to work together with the Tororo Municipal Council physical planner to open boundaries.
Ms Sabano also asked all individuals accused of encroachment to go to her office with supportive documents showing how they acquired the land. “They should to come to my office with supportive documents showing how they acquired the land,” she said.
