A longstanding legal battle over the property of the late Inspector General of Police (IGP) Lt. Col. Wilson Erinayo Oryema has come to a conclusion with a court in Gulu city dismissing a case against his widow, Gertrude Oryema Auma. The ruling, dated May 13, 2024, marks the end of a 14-year court dispute between Auma and her four children.
In his ruling, Justice Phillip Odoki determined that the 3,700 acres of land sold by Auma to Beatrice Odongo Achola did not form part of the estate of the late Oryema. The judgment grants Achola the right to transfer the land into her name and enjoy quiet enjoyment thereof. The land in question is located in Purongo, Kilak County, Acholi, with land registration details under LRV 778, Folio 23.
The plaintiffs in the case, Mary Onen, Elizabeth Oryema Atim, William Oryema, and Nancy Wilson Oryema, accused their mother, Auma, of mismanaging the estate of their late father. However, Justice Odoki’s ruling found in favor of Auma and Achola, dismissing the case and issuing a permanent injunction against the plaintiffs from further claiming rights to the disputed land.
Furthermore, the judge ordered Onen and Atim to bear the costs of the suit, attributing the legal proceedings to their actions, which hindered Achola from registering the land in her name.
The court’s decision was based on the lack of evidence to support the plaintiffs’ claims and the acknowledgment that Achola had acquired equitable interest in the land through a legitimate contract of sale.
The legal battle traces back to 2006 when Auma was granted letters of administration by the High Court to manage the estate of the late Oryema. Subsequent disputes arose over the sale of parts of the land by Auma without the consent of other beneficiaries, leading to legal interventions and counterclaims.
Wilson Erinayo Oryema, the late IGP, held prominent positions in Uganda’s government, serving as the country’s first IGP from 1964 to 1971. He later served as Minister of Land, Mineral, and Water Resources (1971–1974) and Minister of Land, Housing, and Physical Planning (1974–1977). His untimely death in 1977, alongside Archbishop Janani Luwum and Interior Minister Charles Oboth Ofumbi, remains a significant event in Uganda’s history, widely believed to be a result of actions by President Idi Amin’s regime.
The court’s ruling brings closure to a protracted legal dispute and underscores the importance of clear property rights and legal processes in resolving inheritance matters.
