A piece of land meant for the construction of a heart institute in Mbale Regional Referral Hospital has been sold off.
The land loacetd on Plot number 34/36 on Pallisa Road in Mbale Central Business District, was earmarked by the health ministry for the construction of a multi-billion shillings heart institute, the second of its kind in the country.,
Construction plans however stalled in 2007, under unclear circumstances.
Sources privy to the latest developments shows that some members of the board of governors of Mbale Regional Referral Hospital connived with officials of the land registry and changed the land title for the institute into their names.
Among those accused is Dr. Dominic Wabroko, the chairman board of governors of Mbale Regional Hospital who is accused of aiding the illegal transfer of the land title to a private company.
Abdul Kutosi, a former Speaker of Mbale Municipal Council says Dr. Wabroko in his capacity as the chairman of the hospital board approached the council in 2007 asking for the two plots located on Pallisa Road to set up a heart institute.
Kutosi explains that Dr. Wabloko was accompanied by Wilfred Kajeke, the former Member of Parliament for Mbale Municipality. The doctors said that that the hospital wanted the council to help it acquire the title for the two plots ahead of construction works.
Kutosi said they then advised Dr. Wabloko to write a letter expressing the hospital’s interest in acquiring the plot but to their surprise they later learnt that Dr. Wabroko instead went to Uganda Land Commission-ULC and registered the plot in his names.
Dr. Wabloko later sold the plot to Mash Investments (U) limited a company owned by Francis Mashate the Deputy Executive Director of Uganda National Bureau of Statistics.
Mashate later entered into a memorandum of understanding with Mbale Municipal Council to allow the vendors to temporarily operate from the plot during the time Mbale Main Market is undergoing reconstruction.
James Kutosi, the Speaker of Mbale Municipal Council says that the land was illegally allocated to Mash Investments that is owned by Francis Mashate. He says Mbale Municipal council later went to court to challenge the allocation and the case is still pending.
But some documents seen by Uganda Radio Network show that Mbale Municipal Council entered into a memorandum of understanding with Mash Investment for the vendors to be allowed to operate on the contested land as construction of the main market goes on.
The public relations officer of Mbale Municipal admits that the council entered into a memorandum of understanding in which it agreed to ask court to stay hearing of the case for two years.
Kutosi however claims that the council will ‘resurrect’ the case when the vendors leave the contested land. He says that Mash Investments allowed the vendors to operate free of charge as part of what is contained in the memorandum.
Bernard Mujasi the LC5 Chairman of Mbale says the district will ensure the land reverts to Mbale Hospital when the vendors leave.
Mujasi says available records indicate that the land belongs to Mbale Hospital not Mash Investments the current ‘owners’.
But Dr. John Waniaye the Mbale District Director of Health Services says the hospital lost the land meant for the construction of the heart institute to unscrupulous people. He says Dr. Wabloko the board chairman of the hospital was in a better position to explain how the hospital lost the land.
Dr. Wabloko could however not be reached on his cell-phone.
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