UGANDA, Acholi | Real Muloodi News | The Acholi Chiefdom has sued the government of Uganda over the alleged encroachment of 95,000 acres of land in the Lamwo and Pader districts.
The chiefdom filed the lawsuit on February 3, 2023 in the Gulu High Court against the Attorney General and the Uganda Livestock Industries Ltd (ULI), Banuti Ranchers Ltd, ARPE Ltd, and the Commissioner Land Registration.
The chiefdom is joined in the lawsuit by 10 MPs under the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG).
The lawsuit accuses ULI of creating a new freehold title over the Aswa Ranch in the Pader, Gulu, and Lamwo districts without the knowledge of the land owners and local leaders.
ULI is also accused of fraudulently subdividing the freehold certificate of title and creating new titles, and then leasing the land to Banuti Ranchers Ltd and ARPE Ltd, who then evicted people from their homes and destroyed the environment, including cultural sites and forests.
“ULI fraudulently subdivided the freehold certificate of title and created new titles, and then proceeded to lease the land to Banuti Ranchers Ltd and ARPE Ltd (the company currently building the Aswa Hydropower Dam),” the suit reads in part.
Adding: “Banuti ranchers Ltd and ARPE Ltd, having illegally obtained the titles proceeded to evict people from their homes, and to forcefully occupy parts of the land and have embarked on the destruction of the environment such as forests (including the shea trees which is a taboo), and very important cultural sites.”
The chiefdom, through its lawyers Ladwer & Oneka Advocates, is seeking a court declaration that the conversion of leases over the Aswa Ranch land into freehold by the Uganda Land Commission is illegal, and wants the same to be cancelled.
The chiefdom also wants a court declaration that the creation of leasehold titles in favour of Banuti Ranchers Ltd and ARPE Ltd over the Aswa Ranch is illegal.
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