Museveni to launch Lira zonal land office

President Yoweri Museveni is expected to officiate at the launch of Ministry of Lands Zonal Office in Lira on Thursday.

The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Betty Amongi Ongom said the office will serve eight districts: Lira, Apac, Oyam, Kole, Dokolo, Alebtong, Otuke, and Amolatar in Lango subregion.

The office will provide land registration, administration, survey, valuation and physical planning, among others.

During a meeting with Lango leaders at ST Lira Hotel on Monday, the ministry presented a paper on proposed constitutional land amendment but this was received with mixed reactions.

Erute North MP Charles Angiro Gutomoi walked out of the meeting after the chairperson of the meeting Silvia Akello (Woman MP Otuke) failed to pick him.

The Mayor of Lira Municipal Council Mike Ogwang Olwa is concerned that if the leasehold is converted to freehold and the land owners don't pay revenue, their means of getting revenue will be affected.

Lands minister Betty Amongi. (Credit: Hudson Apunyo)

Dokolo RDC Susan Akany supported the proposed amendment saying it will ease the work of local and central governments.

She said in Dokolo, the land owners have taken the district to court and were awarded big compensation and work of opening roads has stalled.

The RDC said the local people should be educated on the proposed amendment and the issue should not be politicized.

Dokolo North MP Paul Amoru said the area land committee is not yet sworn in to help them carry out their work. He said the proposed amendment is prone to misrepresentation and needs to be approached carefully.

The chief government valuer should be made to work with a private valuer to come with a fair value of property and avoid suspicion, he added.

"We have a country to develop and at the same time we have our people to protect."

Meanwhile, Minister Amongi said the amendment is not in bad faith, adding that there is misconception on the proposal.

She said the local people talking against the amendment are the elite class who go and buy land cheaply from the peasants and turn around to demand hefty compensation from government.

Amongi said in Bulisa, there is a notorious man who has bought a large chunk of land and is now demanding a lot of money in compensation from the government.