Land rows rampant in Kapchorwa

By Josephine Maseruka The Kapchorwa district chairman, Mr. Christopher Sango Chepkurui, has said the majority of police cases in the district are due to land disputes. Chepkurui was speaking at the recent launching of the Land Rights Centre in Kapchorwa town. It is a joint initiative between the Uganda Land Alliance and Action Aid Uganda. He said a third of the Kapchorwa residents were displaced by land related issues and cattle rustlers. Chepkurui appealed to the government to consult with the grassroot people before implementing programmes. He said he was pre-occupied with solving land disputes for three years of his term in office. Chepkurui said, "The land issue in Kapchorwa would not have reached where it is if the government had implemented the resettlement programmes from the grassroots and not from above." over 8,000 Ndorobos who lived in the Elgon National Park were displaced when the Wild Life Authority made a survey line that turned them into illegal occupants. The Government has however, allocated sh500m to resettle the Ndoboros who were encroaching on the environment in the game park which is a tourist attraction. Chepkurui said displaced people like the Ndorobos were suffering due to lack of information and consultation. Ends