Last month Ssalamu Godfrey Ngobi, the Assistant Registrar of Lira High Court issued a temporary injunction restraining Ibuje Sub County and Matrix Lands Ltd from carrying out any activities at Ibuje rock.
The contractor of the Rwengkunye- Apac- Lira- Puranga road is sourcing
a new rock for the construction of the road.
Initially, Sadeem Al-Kuwait, the company that was contracted to undertake road
construction was expected to use aggregate generated by Matrix Lands Ltd from
Ibuje rock.
However, last month Ssalamu Godfrey Ngobi, the Assistant Registrar of Lira High
Court issued a temporary injunction restraining Ibuje Sub County and Matrix
Lands Ltd from carrying out any activities at Ibuje rock. The injunction grounded
all road works requiring aggregates to a halt, pending the disposal of the
application by Sophia Okune, the Administrator of the late Hon. Joseph William
Okune and Awino Stone Quarry Cooperative Society.
Okune's family accused Ibuje sub-county, two other defendants and Matrix Lands
ltd of trespass.
The contractor is now considering sourcing a new rock site. Richard Wabuna, the Project Engineer at
Uganda Nation Road’s Authority-UNRA says that there is a proposed rock at
Karuma and another at Chawente Sub County in Kwania district which the
contractor may use but it has not yet been approved.
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The contention over Ibuje rock has sparked anger among the people
of Lango sub-region including local leaders. Early this month, the LCV chairpersons in Lango
sub-region petitioned the Attorney General to have the injunction reviewed
because it is denying the community a chance to utilize the natural resources
in their area.
Betty Engola, the Apac woman MP petitioned the Minister of Works to intervene.
“I’m appealing to you on Rwengknye Apac stretch because the final updated road
design is out at least for the 31km stretch and this calls for the contractor
to start work but the Ibuje rock is our big concern and we are frustrated and
it is a big setback to us because we have been waiting for this road.”
Cecilia Atim Ogwal, the Dokolo District Woman MP suggested that
the contractor can use the Dokolo rock which was used during the construction
of Soroti- Dokolo- Lira road instead of delaying the project.
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In 2012, Okune’s family sued the sub-county, Matrix Limited and
two other individuals claiming that the interests of the late Okune had moved
to his wife as the administrator of his estate. In 2019, the court delivered
a judgement awarding 10 out of the 80 hectares of land on which the rock sits
to Sophia Okune and 70 hectares to the sub-county. However, the current
injunction affects the entire rock.
