Africa-Press – Uganda. The Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MoDVA) is embroiled in a land wrangle with the defunct Fairland University located in Jinja City.
The land in question is Plot M149, which overlooks the Senior Command and Staff College (SCSC), Kimaka, Jinja Southern Division.
Prof Solomon Wakabi, the chairperson Board of Governors at Fairland University, said the 10-acre land was in 2002 leased to the university for 99 years by Jinja District Land Board before the establishment of the army staff college.
According to Mr Wakabi, the land was identified by the Ministry of Works and Transport as ideal for the establishment of a railway station in Jinja and agreed to compensate the university to enable it to develop its campus at its new premises in Masese, Walukuba.
“Between 2003 and 2004, the Ministry of Defence, without compensation or dialogue of any kind, blocked the university from accessing its plot for its intended development in the area,” he said in an interview at the weekend.
He added: “In 2016/2017, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project identified the said land and other neighbouring plots as ideal for the establishment of its station in Jinja and agreed to compensate the university; but being fully aware of this development, MoDVA surprisingly cordoned off the entire area, thereby blocking timely compensation of the university by SGR.”
Mr Wakabi said the university’s engagement with the chairperson Military Board, Permanent Secretary and MoDVA has dragged on for the whole of last year, prompting them to seek legal redress as the last resort.
In their June 5, 2023, letter to the Attorney General, the university said since MoDVA “has completely shunned” its proposal for dialogue to have the matter resolved amicably, it is now poised to pursue legal redress.
This after the SGR project coordinator, Mr Emmanuel Ssemakula, in his May 16, 2023, letter to the university, said the latter will not be compensated until ownership claims are decisively resolved.
“We are constrained to consider your request for compensation until such a time when the multiple ownership claim issue is resolved. Nonetheless, we are continuing to engage MoDVA to have the impasse resolved. We also encourage you to continue engaging MoDVA to have your claim cleared,” the letter reads in part.
When contacted, Brig Gen Felix Kulaigye, the Ministry of Defence spokesperson, said the disputed land was acquired illegally, adding that it belongs to the Ministry of Defence.
“Those who claim ownership acquired it illegally, and if they are going to court, let them go; we shall meet them there,” Brig Gen Kulaigye said in a brief telephone interview.
Fairland University, established in 2001 as a private institution, was in 2007 closed by the National Council for Higher Education after it failed to meet standards.
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