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Landlords, State House Disagree Over Land Ownership in Gulu City

Bonnie Payira, who represented Northern Broadcast Company Ltd, one of the landlords noted that the land in question on plots 18 and 2A was lawfully purchased from the Uganda Electricity Board (UEB) in 2005.
30 Oct 2024 10:53
Gulu City council officials and landlords accompany state house officials on a visit to inspect the boundaries of Gulu State Lodge in Pece-Laroo Division Gulu City on Tuesday.

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A disagreement has erupted between State House officials and a section of landlords in Pece-Laroo Division in Gulu City over the ownership of several government plots.

The dispute comes amidst a move by the State House to secure titles over the piece of land claiming it’s part of the State Lodge land situated on Plot 4 Churchill Drive in Gulu City.

Officials from the State House Legal Department alleged that the land has since been encroached on and allocated to local, private, and government institutions without the knowledge of the Presidency.

Judith Oroma, a senior principal legal officer to the President, noted that the land is part of 20 other state lodges currently being encroached on, and the State House intends to secure their titles.

According to Oroma, the move arises from the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee directive to the Presidency demanding a swift move to have all the public lands with state lodges secured from land grabbers.

Oroma notes that a total of nine plots part of the state lodge land has already been encroached on and allocated to developers. The land includes Boma ground on Plot No 1 Churchill Drive Road which has been titled in the name of Gulu Municipal Council, and Plot 6 on Princess Road which houses the Gulu Regional Blood Bank. 

Others are Plot 08 which is owned by Stephen Komakech, plot 10 belonging to AMREF, Plot 12 under Caroline Onekalit, Plot 14 Richard Odiya, Plot 16 Laker Christopher and Plot 18 and 2 A belonging to Mwaka David all situated on Princes Road.

During a meeting with the landlords in Gulu City on Tuesday, Oroma advised those occupying the land to write to the presidency indicating how they acquired the land so that an amicable solution is arrived at.

However, the landlords disagreed with the directives and allegations of encroachment citing they legally acquired the land from the government through the district land board.

Bonnie Payira, who represented Northern Broadcast Company Ltd, one of the landlords noted that the land in question on plots 18 and 2A was lawfully purchased from the Uganda Electricity Board (UEB) in 2005. 

He noted that the land had been advertised openly in newspaper papers before it was purchased adding all relevant documents including a leasehold title acquired from the district land board is available.

Representatives from Gulu Regional Blood Bank on the other hand noted that the land was officially acquired in 2009, two years after the process kicked off in 2007 for the establishment of the modern facility. They too noted that all land documents including a leasehold title were issued by the Gulu Municipal Land Board. 

Some of the landlords however accused State House officials of targeting them arguing that parts of the state lodge land currently host the Government Analytical Laboratory under the Internal Affairs Ministry and Acholi Inn Hotel who are not being questioned.

Robert Kioko, a former staff surveyor of Gulu District Local Government acknowledged that some of the plots in question were allocated after approval of the then-district land board. then-district.

Kioko said as a technical officer, he worked on the interests and requests of the board adding that at the time, there was development pressure within the Municipality which forced people to file applications for the open space.

According to Kioko, the first application was received from Acholi Inn Hotel, followed by Regional Blood Bank and the Government Analytical Laboratory whose management needed land at the time before their requests were approved. He however said Gulu Municipal Council saw the need to protect the Boma ground from further demand by securing a land title for it in the name of the Municipal Council.

“All the plots created; they were created through a series of planners. The Land board would plan and send to the physical planner to approve,” said Kioko.

Gulu Resident City Commissioner Ambrose Onoria however castigated the technocrats in the then Gulu Municipal Council for allocating the plots of land while knowing very well they all belong government. He says such moves may end up costing the local government financial losses to compensate the landlords in any case the matter is taken to court.

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In July last year, legislators on the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee castigated officials from the State House for their alleged failure to secure and update land titles belonging to 18 State lodges. They reasoned that such negligence exposes the properties to land grabbing.

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