KIU Defends Controversial Mbarara Land Acquisition

Part of the ongoing KIU heart&cancer institute construction project that extends to the said land

Kampala International University says it lawfully acquired land on Kamukuzi Hill in Mbarara for a proposed regional heart and cancer institute, rejecting allegations of land grabbing as district leaders defend the allocation process amid an ongoing Public Accounts Committee inquiry.

Kampala International University (KIU) has defended its acquisition of land on Kamukuzi Hill in Mbarara, insisting that all legal and administrative procedures were followed amid heightened scrutiny by the Mbarara District Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The defence comes after the committee reportedly recommended the arrest of the Mbarara District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) over allegations of fraud in the allocation of the land.

The dispute traces its origins to April 2025, when the clearing of trees on a forested section of Kamukuzi Hill, reportedly claimed by the National Forestry Authority (NFA), sparked public concern and allegations of an illegal land grab involving businessman and KIU Board of Trustees Chairman Hassan Basajjabalaba.

More than a year later, the matter remains unresolved, with KIU and former district leaders maintaining that the allocation was lawful and intended to support regional development.

Speaking to Nile Post, former Mbarara District Chairperson Didas Tabaro said KIU was not the only institution allocated land under the district's development framework.

"More than 12 public and private entities, including the Inspectorate of Government (IG), the Office of the Auditor General (OAG), the Uganda Management Institute (UMI) and Makerere University Business School (MUBS), among others, were allocated land under the same framework," Tabaro said.

According to Tabaro, the district leadership approached KIU after both the district executive and council passed a formal resolution aimed at transforming Kamukuzi Hill into a regional education and healthcare hub.

He dismissed the controversy surrounding the CAO as an internal administrative dispute, arguing that the allocation was a collective decision rather than the action of an individual official.

"The district leadership proactively approached KIU following a formal resolution passed by both the district executive and the council. The goal was to transform Kamukuzi Hill into a regional educational and medical hub," he said.

KIU says it intends to establish a regional heart and cancer institute on the site, a project it believes would significantly improve access to specialised healthcare services in western Uganda by reducing the need for patients to travel to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala.

KIU Co-Director and Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality Member of Parliament Idd Basajjabalaba said the university is currently processing formal land titles to satisfy requirements set by development partners.

"The institution followed due processes to be given the land with intention to develop it," Basajjabalaba said.

He added that because KIU is a private institution operating on public land, securing a land title remains a priority to guarantee transparency and facilitate the planned healthcare investment.

"We want to establish a heart and cancer institute and one of the requirements from our development partners is proof of ownership, which in this case is a land title. These other stories of KIU wanting to grab land are preposterous and unfortunate. Our aim is to bring services closer to our people," Basajjabalaba said.

According to KIU officials, the university was granted a 20-year lease over the section of Kamukuzi Hill owned by Mbarara District, although the land is geographically located within Mbarara City.

The controversy over the allocation continues to attract public and official scrutiny as investigations into the matter proceed

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