Amuru MPs survive lynching by angry locals

By Arnest Tumwesige in Amuru

 

TWO Members of Parliament (MP) from Amuru district survived being beaten by locals who accused them of interfering in a family land matter without their consent.

 

Gilbert Olanya, the MP Kilak County and Lucy Akello, the woman MP met stiff resistance from the seven families of the deceased Yaconi Ojwang who asked them to leave immediately.

 

The two on Saturday had led a group of four families in Ugali Apaa village, Pailyec parish Amuru Sub County from the village’s trading centre to where Omer Farming Company Ltd had been set up.

 

New Vision has established that the legislators wanted to find out why there were allegations of forceful eviction of people at night, detentions by police, beatings, looting and total deprivation by the four families to own land.

 

The families of the late Ojwang, armed with spears, arrows, spades, slashers, clubs, axes, hoes and timber pieces staged a barricade as they shouted, “leave us alone, there’s no politics in this matter, it’s entirely a family issue. Better leave now with your people or else we deal with you now.”

 

The bitter relatives joined by the farm workers were only restrained by the police personnel who pleaded for calm until Olanya and his posse retreated.

 

They accused the MPs for claiming to convene a meeting with them without their consent as the land owners.

 

“One month ago, we got information that there was a move by the aggrieved families to come and burn the tractors on site, that’s why we could not let them draw nearer,” Collins Kidega one of the family members said.

 

Genesis of the matter

In January, an Australian identified as Linton Brimblecombe with other investors approached the families of Ojwang and requested to acquire land for commercial farming which permission was granted.

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Kilak County Member of Parliament Gilbert Olanya is restrained by police during the fracas. Photo by Arnest Tumwesige

Otto Bongomin the company’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) says in the agreement with the families, the farm owners accepted to rent the land, plough five acres to each family and give them iron sheets.

 

Bongomin however notes that, with eleven families occupying the 6,000 hectares of land, consent was only by the families of Ojwang and not the other four families because they had settled there illegally after the decommissioning of the internally displaced people’s camps in 2006.

 

“When ploughing started, because the land owners are scattered, these aggrieved families are sometimes left in the middle of the gardens and that’s why they are complaining of being deprived of their land,” he explained.

 

Bongomin added that, last year the locals from the four families attacked Christopher Ameda the son of Ojwang, beat him and the matter reached court where thirteen people were suspected to have taken part.

 

“Because the suspects were released and failed to report to Gulu court, that’s why so far eight people have been arrested and more will follow suit because it’s a court matter,” he said.

 

Doreen Acaye, an affected local said because of fear, she was sleeping in the bush, no digging as there wasn’t any land and her husband and 12 year old son had gone missing since Thursday.

Police explains

David Epedu the officer in charge of Amuru central police station apologized to the locals for any form of harassment during a fact finding meeting convened after retreating back to the village centre.

 

He however encouraged the affected families claiming to have been beaten and looted to lodge complaints with police so that investigations into the matter commences.

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The officer equally asked the parties involved to sit on a round table and discuss so that there’s harmonious living and for the good of the farm.

 

Linton speaks out

“It’s the first time we are having protection using a gun, meaning that our relationship is not good with the community. It’s important that we uphold the rights and culture of the Ugandan people,” Linton noted.

 

He equally promised to dialogue with the affected families because of the desire for the community to embrace the development.

 

According to the company’s corporate social responsibility, it’s going to construct a modern primary school, extend tap water, health centre and start up an agri-tourists site.

 

How Ojwang acquired the land

According Collins Kidega, Ojwang acquired the land in 1973 after President Idi Amin Dada degazetted the land from a park to allow human settlement which the aggrieved families dispute.

 

Kidega claims that Ojwang acquired all the legal documents to his land which part of it was later used to start an IDP camp during the insurgency.

 

“We have been having meetings with these families that remained here and never could they listen to our call to relocate,” he explained.

 

MP’s react

Gilbert Olanya asked the affected families to embrace development if it was serving the interest of the community.

 

He however cautioned them against talking ill of the project and accept the changes if they are not the rightful owners of the land.

 

“I want to caution, that as MPs we are not here to defend people on matters regarding land even when you are in the wrong and this must stop,” Olanya noted.

 

Akello asked the company owners to design more programs that target the locals like extending sponsorship programs for the needy.