Langi clan heads to okay land transactions

By Patrick Okino

ANY investor who wants to buy land in the Lango region should get clearance from clan leaders, the premier of the Lango Cultural Foundation, Faustino Olwitingol, has said.

Olwitingol, who was addressing mourners at the burial of Peter Acir, a former teacher of Akwanilum Primary School in Lira, said land under the customary tenure was governed by clan heads not individuals.

“No investor or any other person should waste money buying land, which is under customary tenure unless they have an agreement from the clan head. Otherwise, they will lose their money.”

Olwitingol said the foundation would sensitise people on the law governing customary land to avoid conflicts between cultural leaders and landowners.

“As a cultural institution, we want to avoid unnecessary selling of land in Lango. It is the only asset we have.”

He cautioned the Langi against mortgaging land for loans, saying it would be taken if they failed to repay the money.

Land boundaries, Olwitingol advised, would be best demarcated by planting of trees.

He also urged people to be more productive after the end of the LRA insurgency and Karamojong cattle rustling.