Greed blamed for Acholi land disputes
Aug 10, 2010
The rampant land wrangles in several return villages in the Acholi sub-region have been attributed to greed. “Those with limited pieces of land want to use violence to acquire more land so as to sell to others.
By Chris Ocowun
The rampant land wrangles in several return villages in the Acholi sub-region have been attributed to greed. “Those with limited pieces of land want to use violence to acquire more land so as to sell to others.
People with many children who are squeezed on small pieces of land are trying to find ways of acquiring more land to accommodate their families,†Bosco Onencan of Pakuma village in Pabbo sub-county, Amuru district said.
He called for sensitisation and dialogue among the warring clans to solve the problem. Ray Olweny of Pajule town board in Pader district suggested that land disputes be resolved by the elders and the traditional women leaders known as ‘Rwodi Okoro’.
He said courts delay justice. “The powers of the LC2 courts to hear and settle land cases should be removed because these people are ill-educated and sometimes favour those who bribe them,†Olweny stated.
The Pabbo sub-county LC3 chairman, Christopher Ojera, pointed out, however, that land wrangles in the return villages had reduced, saying people were slowly beginning to understand the Land Act.
Amuru district has been ranked the worst district in land wrangles. Recently, Olanya Lubel Obondi and his wife were shot dead at their home in Lapede, west of Pajule town in Pader district, over a land dispute.
In Lira-Palwo sub-county, Agago district, a family of four was set ablaze over a land row. Doreen Akello, 52, a widow from Amuru district lost her son over a disputed acre of land.
The rampant land wrangles in several return villages in the Acholi sub-region have been attributed to greed. “Those with limited pieces of land want to use violence to acquire more land so as to sell to others.
People with many children who are squeezed on small pieces of land are trying to find ways of acquiring more land to accommodate their families,†Bosco Onencan of Pakuma village in Pabbo sub-county, Amuru district said.
He called for sensitisation and dialogue among the warring clans to solve the problem. Ray Olweny of Pajule town board in Pader district suggested that land disputes be resolved by the elders and the traditional women leaders known as ‘Rwodi Okoro’.
He said courts delay justice. “The powers of the LC2 courts to hear and settle land cases should be removed because these people are ill-educated and sometimes favour those who bribe them,†Olweny stated.
The Pabbo sub-county LC3 chairman, Christopher Ojera, pointed out, however, that land wrangles in the return villages had reduced, saying people were slowly beginning to understand the Land Act.
Amuru district has been ranked the worst district in land wrangles. Recently, Olanya Lubel Obondi and his wife were shot dead at their home in Lapede, west of Pajule town in Pader district, over a land dispute.
In Lira-Palwo sub-county, Agago district, a family of four was set ablaze over a land row. Doreen Akello, 52, a widow from Amuru district lost her son over a disputed acre of land.