The Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC) of Gulu District, James Cosmas Okidi, has disclosed that the practice of some unscrupulous people reclaiming ownership of land that has already been given to relatives by ancestors is brewing conflict among residents of Gulu District.
This information was revealed on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at a stakeholders/Baraza meeting held at Burcoro Parish Headquarters, Awach Sub-County, Gulu District.
Okidi said that most land disputes in the area stem from the grabbing of land that has already been given to relatives, such as sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, cousins, and in-laws. This is done by grandchildren of the deceased who alter the agreement between the ancestors and the relatives.
According to Okidi, this shocking trend is driven by the need to sell land.
“This barbaric act must stop immediately, and anyone caught doing it must be dealt with according to the law,” Okidi warned in the meeting.
More than 20 households in a single parish (Burcoro Parish) have been affected by these false claims.
Okidi said that he will not allow anyone to destabilize the peace of the local people in Gulu by falsely claiming land that has already been given to them by elders for their own personal gain.
Deputy RDC Okidi asserted that he will arrest and prosecute all land fraudsters who are disturbing the peace of the people.
Several recommendations for action were passed by different stakeholders at the meeting.
In attendance were LC1s, LC2s, LC3s, the GISO, the OC police, staff of the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative, and the Deputy RDC, who officiated the function.
The theme of the community dialogues was peaceful coexistence, reconciliation, mutual understanding, and tolerance.
Land conflict in Northern Uganda is taking a new twist, with new generations terminating relatives from donated pieces of land by ancestors.