By KT Reporter
The Acholi Muslim District under the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has commissioned the construction of a multibillion business centre on land that once served as a cemetery in Gulu City. The African-Asian Cemetery, previously reserved for Muslims, occupied 5.5 plots—nearly two acres—between Cemetery Road and Acholi Road, adjacent to Stanbic Bank and Gulu Main Bus Park.
For years, Gulu City authorities had engaged the Muslim Council over relocating the graves to pave the way for development. Five years ago, UMSC purchased a two-acre piece of land at Lawiyadul Cell in the Laroo-Pece Division, about five kilometers away. Nearly three years later, the Council began exhuming remains and transferring them to the new site. On Wednesday afternoon, the Council officially handed the site to Gasmrat Investment Limited for the construction of a shopping mall valued at Sh5 billion. Acholi Muslim District Khadi, Sheikh Musamil Ismaiel Mandella, revealed that only 318 bodies were exhumed while 262 could not be traced.
“We said no, we have to purchase other graveyards and stop burying our people here …the second initiative is yes, we now got a new graveyard, before we could shift our dead bodies, can we develop this area on our own?” Sheikh Mandella explained. She adds: “As you all know, we are a religious institution and not profit-oriented, so we didn’t have the capacity to develop this place into a city status. We decided to look around and with God’s help, we found our brother.”
Mohamud Jama, the developer from Gasmrat Investment, said construction will take two years, though Gulu City Council has not yet approved its physical plan. “It won’t just be a building but a good revenue source for the city and opportunities for the business community here,” Mohamud noted.
However, Musa Odongkara Nassar, head of Lands and Properties at UMSC, cautioned that internal wrangles could derail the project. “The Council is overwhelmed with disputes over lands arising from our people from within claiming the institutional lands and we have many court cases against us,” Odongkara warned. Geoffrey Otim, Mayor of Laroo-Pece Division, welcomed the development, saying it comes at the right time as the city seeks to fast-track economic growth. “We are receiving many complaints from your members about land matters, clean your house and manage your internal conflict to safeguard a project like this,” Otim urged.
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