UGANDA, Amuru | Real Muloodi News | Residents of Layima Sub County in Amuru District are calling for a review of land titles issued in the area. According to the residents, some individuals claiming to be investors have legal documents issued by the area land board that give them rights over several acres of land in the region.
The residents argue that the land is communally owned, and they are questioning how some of the investors acquired land titles in the area.
The affected areas include Lango Olimu, Alii, and Jago ‘A’ Villages, where one investor claims ownership of 3,800 acres of land.
However, residents claim they had to vacate the land during the Lord`s Resistance Army-LRA insurgency, which forced them into Internally Displaced Person-IDP camps.
Mary Angee, 50, a mother of three from Alii Village, calls for the Layima Sub County area land board to review all land titles issued in the area and make them public for scrutiny.
She notes that some people are taking advantage of others and fraudulently acquiring land titles in the area.
John Kica, the General Secretary of Lango Olimu Village, reports that an investor named Umar, who is claiming over 3,800 acres of land, has threatened more than 398 households in his area with eviction.
Kica wonders how someone can claim rights over the land yet the local authorities are not aware of how they acquired it.
Cosmas Apuke, the Layima Sub County Chairperson, notes that residents have petitioned his office, demanding a review and investigation of all land titles in the area, as they are being threatened with evictions.
Apuke added that it is suspicious how some people acquired land titles in the area, as the area land board committee is yet to assume office.
Michael Olaa, the Gombolola Internal Security Officer (GISO) of Layima, highlights fraudulent land transactions as a rising source of insecurity in the area.
Olaa adds that fraudulent land transactions have become a source of insecurity, posing significant risks to the region’s residents.
Gilbert Olanya, the Kilak County Member of Parliament, reports that his office has taken over the matter and intends to identify all those with land titles in the area and verify them from the land registry. It is a significant step towards resolving the issue and ensuring that investors and residents get fair land ownership deals.
The situation in Layima Sub County, Amuru District, highlights a pervasive problem in Uganda’s land sector, where investors, government officials, and wealthy individuals fraudulently acquire land titles. Such fraudulent activities threaten the livelihoods of ordinary Ugandans and create insecurity in the affected areas.
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