From graves to growth: UMSC Mall to redefine Gulu City space

By Ahmed Idriss

For decades, the 5.5 plots of land tucked between Cemetery Road and Acholi Road in Gulu City served as the African Asian Cemetery, the final resting place for Muslims in northern Uganda.

Now, the quiet grounds are giving way to a multibillion-dollar business hub as the Acholi Muslim District under Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) embarks on one of the most ambitious real estate projects in the city’s history.

On Wednesday, the Acholi Muslim District handed over the site to Gasmrat Investment Limited, which is set to construct a shopping mall worth Shs5 billion. The two-acre property sits at a strategic junction, flanked by Stanbic Bank and the Gulu Main Bus Park—prime land that city leaders say could anchor the next phase of Gulu’s urban growth.

Acholi Muslim District Khadi, Sheikh Musamil Ismaiel Mandella, explained that the cemetery was relocated to Lawiyadul Cell, about five kilometers away, to make way for the development.

“We said no, we have to purchase other graveyards and stop burying our people here… before we could shift our dead bodies, can we develop this area on our own?” he said, noting that 318 bodies were successfully exhumed, though 262 could not be traced.

The project is expected to take two years, but Gasmrat Investment’s Mohamud Jama revealed that the mall’s physical plan is still awaiting approval from Gulu City Council.

“It won’t just be a building but a good revenue source for the city and opportunities for the business community here,” he said.

Urban planners see the development as part of Gulu’s transformation into a commercial hub. Once a war-scarred town, the city is now attracting major real estate projects, banking institutions, and new roads as it seeks to position itself as the economic capital of northern Uganda.

Still, the project is not without challenges. Musa Odongkara Nassar, head of lands and properties at UMSC, warned that unresolved disputes over institutional land could stall the development.

“The Council is overwhelmed with disputes arising from our people from within claiming the institutional lands, and we have many court cases against us,” he cautioned.

Laroo-Pece Division Mayor, Geoffrey Otim, welcomed the project as timely for Gulu’s growth but urged the Muslim Council to manage its internal conflicts.

“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,” he said.