In Pakwach, Alur King Philip Olarker Rauni III has made a new rule. He says clan chiefs cannot sell kingdom land anymore.
This decision came during a meeting with the Council of Chiefs at Jukia Hill in Nebbi Municipality on Tuesday.
The Alur Kingdom has a big problem. People are selling land without rules to investors and business owners. Clan chiefs usually help with these sales. This leads to many fights over land.
According to King Olarker, it’s not good that the chiefs, who should protect kingdom land, are selling it illegally. He says they must stop this practice right away. He also said that even if people are very poor, they should not sell their land because it’s their most valuable thing.
“I want all the chiefs to focus on keeping land safe in their areas. I know many of us are poor, but as the king, I have to make sure our people and our land are safe. Land is how we make a living,” said Olarker.
Some places in the Kingdom where land sales are a big problem include Opano Panyigoro in Pakwach Sub County, Pakwach district, Padolo, Agule, and Acer in Nebbi district, and Patera in Atyak, Zombo district. Vincent Ochaya Orach, the Deputy Prime Minister of Alur Kingdom, says the chiefs are selling land because they don’t have enough money. He also says that investors are taking advantage of this situation to buy land.
The Alur Kingdom is a traditional institution passed down through families. It’s located in northwestern Uganda and the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Most Alur people live in Zombo, Nebbi, Pakwach, and some parts of Arua city. In the DRC, they mostly live north of Lake Albert.