Land dispute puts Uganda's Shs92.8 billion Apac hospital upgrade at risk
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Apac Hospital could lose a Shs92.8 billion World Bank-funded upgrade into a regional referral hospital because the facility has no land title, with dozens of encroachers still on its land.
Apac Hospital in northern Uganda risks losing a Shs92.8 billion World Bank-funded infrastructure project because of an unresolved land dispute, the Daily Monitor reported. The Ministry of Health, with World Bank funding, plans to upgrade the facility in Apac Municipality into a regional referral hospital in the 2027/2028 financial year, but the project can only proceed if the hospital administration secures a land title.
Caroline Lejji, the assistant District Health Officer in charge of maternal and child health, told a meeting in Apac Municipality that the money is already available and the upgrade is the district's priority for 2027/2028. "We request that this matter be resolved immediately," she said while presenting the Apac District Health Department's priorities.
The hospital, established in 1968, is struggling to evict dozens of residents who have reportedly encroached on its land. Apac Resident District Commissioner Andrew Onyuk pledged at the district budget conference on November 5 to help the facility recover the land, saying the building control committee should first control the unnecessary structures coming up on hospital land.
Residents say many of those occupying the land are former hospital staff. Ricky Opur, a resident of Akere Division, said the encroachers and the land boundary are both known. Elder Tom Olum of Akere Cell said the land was donated by the clan and that elders should be involved in identifying the boundary, adding that some elders are unwilling to provide the right information.
The dispute has prompted calls for the authorities to investigate land ownership records, establish the hospital's boundaries and protect public institutional land. Residents fear prolonged delays could affect planned healthcare improvements and deny the district a chance to expand specialised medical services.