Apaa Land Activist Granted Bail

The Magistrate's Court in Gulu has granted bail to John Bosco Uhuru, the social media activist arrested in connection with the Apaa Land violence demonstration held in Gulu town. 

Uhuru was granted cash bail of 200,000 shillings while three of his sureties were bonded at non -cash bails of 500,000 shillings each.

He was arrested on Tuesday and remanded to Gulu Central Prison after being charged with inciting violence and organizing an illegal assembly.

Gulu Grade, I magistrate Isaac Kintu granted him bail saying the offence with which he is charged is a bail-able under the laws of Uganda. He set April 2nd as the day hearing into the case will commence. 

Uhuru presented three sureties who include Moses Laker, the political assistant of Gulu Municipality Member of Parliament Lyandro Komakech, Pece Division Chairperson Kelly Komakech and Osborn Oceng, a cousin to the accused.

Julius Peter Ochen, the Principal State Prosecutor told Court he had no objection to the bail application. 

On Monday, five members of Parliament joined the demonstration in protest of government laxity to restore calm in disputed Apaa Township between Adjumani and Amuru districts on the wake of renewed violence in the area. They include Amuru district Members of Parliament Anthony Akol, Gilbert Olanya and Lucy Akello as well as Aruu South Member of Parliament Odonga Otto and Tochi County Member of Parliament Peter Okot.

The renewed violence has displaced an estimated 700 people from the villages of Acholi Ber and Goro B to a temporary camp at Juka Trading centre.

The displaced residents accuse unknown group of militia believed to be of Madi ethnic origin of desecrating the graves of their relatives as well as destroying their livelihoods and homes.

Speaking in Kitgum district during the Tarehe Sita celebrations on February 6th, President Yoweri Museveni again suspended the evictions of residents from the area for the second time to allow him handle the resolution of the dispute.

He said he will return to the disputed area to assess the progress the Apaa Dispute Mediation Committee he set up last year made in resolving the conflict which dates back to 2012.

Residents have been trapped in Apaa ownership land conflict between Amuru district local government and Adjumani district local government. Two state agencies Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the National Forestry Authority (NFA) has also joined the conflict which has lasted 17 years as bonafide claimants to the land which has been gazetted and de-gazetted by parliament into a conservation area multiple times. 

Residents say it is their ancestral land where they were born.