Nakapiripirit, Uganda –– Concerned youth in Nakapiripirit District in Karamoja Sub-region have continued to demand the return of land allegedly given to the International University of East Africa.
The youth, led by Mr. Frank Lokiru, claim that the criteria that a few local leaders of Moruita and the Nakapiripirit District Land Board used to allocate land to the purported investor was dubious, since there were no minutes regarding their agreement with the locals.
According to Mr. Lokiru, they are not fighting against any development coming to the district, but the criteria for land allocation should be properly used.
“When you look at Karamoja right now, it’s only the land remaining, but all animals have gone. Where will they fall back if they lose all the land?” he said.
John Icumar, another youth, told The Ankole Times that most people claimed to have given land to the so-called investors are elders who are living on their borrowed days.
“They want to sell land as they prepare to die, but they have not considered that we need the land as children of Karamoja,” he said.
Mr. Icumar noted that some of the officials such as Toney Agatha, sub-county chief; Benson Okong, sub-county chief; Jobs Illukol, Principal Secretary to the office of the CAO; and Mr. Hassan, the alleged proprietor of the International University of East Africa, must be investigated and arrested for dubious dealings.
Mr. Icumar said it is now coming to five years ever since the purported investor took the land; there is no single development that has taken place apart from them engaging in gold mining.
“They claimed to be sponsoring students of Nakapiripirit, but no single child has been sponsored. I think we should start carrying out mob justice on these people. Our land is our identity; we shall never accept intruders,” he said.
Several attempts to get a comment from the accused persons were futile since this news desk could not get their contacts.
