UGANDA, Agago | Real Muloodi News | The Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development has cancelled a land title for a block of land measuring 7,537 hectares in Agago District following public outcry.
The title, associated with Block 1, plot 11 in Karenga, was found to have been issued dubiously to Mr. Lucky Joseph Kidega and Mr. David Ocan.
The land in question belongs to the communities in Lapono, Paimol, and Omia Pachwa sub-counties, according to local leaders.
An internal memo from the Commissioner of Land Registration to the Permanent Secretary of the Lands Ministry confirmed the title’s cancellation.
It stated that the office of titles took action after receiving complaints from district and community leaders.
The memo added that the parties affected by the cancellation should reapply for the land following the proper procedures for acquiring titles.
The office of titles learned of the irregular title issuance in February after complaints were raised during a public gathering on February 26 in Lapono Sub-county.
Leonard Opio Ojok, chairperson of Agago, stated, “The issue of the land crisis started around May 2021, immediately after the 2021 elections. I received community concerns about people marking stones at the border between Lapono and Piamol sub-counties, allegedly using military vehicles.”
In January, Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba announced the suspension of a process to secure 9 square miles (5,750 acres) of land for Terra Agri Solutions Ltd for a commercial farm in Agago District.
The suspension aimed to prevent potential fraud and land grabbing amid complaints from affected communities.
The Ministry of Lands ordered the investor to pause the process to allow the district and ministry to identify the rightful landowners, survey the land, and register it.
President Museveni held a meeting with Terra Agri Solutions Ltd, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), and clan leaders from Lapono, Omiya Pacwa, and Orom in October 2023 to discuss the project.
The investor seeks to rent customary land for commercial agriculture under a project known as the parish-to-market socio-economic transformation of the Acholi Sub-region.
The project targets sub-counties including Lapono, Omiya-Pacwa, Orom, Paimol, and Lira-Kato.
Up to 46 clans expressed interest in renting land to the investors under the programme. The recent cancellation of the Agago land title serves as a reminder of the challenges in balancing development and land rights within local communities.
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