LANGO CLANS BAN CLANDESTINE SALE OF CUSTOMARY LAND

Some clans in Lango has taken a bold step to ban sale of all lands owned customarily. The decision was arrived at to secure traditional resources for posterity and reduce escalating cases of land related disputes.
Legal minds have punched holes in the move but the cultural leaders insist the decision is constitutional.

AMBIENCE
Land, one of the most appreciating assets remain a very lethal matter
Land related dispute is existent at individual, Family and clan level while other conflicts have also taken an ethnic dimension.
Ambience
Population growth and demand for land for cultivation and other human activities has led to increased pressure on available land and competing claims to territory.
POPs
A 2020 report by Hague Institute for Innovation of Law titled “Deep dive into land injustice in Uganda”., indicated that one in every four Ugandans experiences land related injustice, with vulnerable groups experiencing severe consequences. Police say a number of criminal cases reported originates from land dispute.
Byte… Jimmy Patrick Okema, North Kyoga Police PRO
According to records, over 2,800 cases are before Lira high court. Majority of which are land related. The resident judge Justice Duncan Gaswaga is considering using the cultural leaders to handled land issues to reduce on case backlogs.
Bite… Justice Duncan Gaswaga, Lira High Court Resident Judge
This comes at a time when the leadership of Inomo Clan, one of the most populated clans in Lango have come out to ban sale of customary lands. The decision is to curtail the improper sale of land for petty reasons which the clan says is detrimental to development. Some lands are clandestinely sold by youths to buy boda-bodas, others sell to marry and meet burial expenses.
Byte… Rtd Col Dan Opito Odwe, Prime Minister Inomo Clan
Bite… Francis Ogema, Arak Opelo Clan
One can only sell a portion for clear reasons authorized by the clan leadership.
Legal minds have however punched holes in this move but the clans insist the move is constitutional.
POPs
To address the complexities, Inomo clan has joined government and civil society organizations to empower their lower leaders on land governance and administration systems.
Byte… Fred Ogwal Oyee, Inomo Clan head
Before colonialism, no single land tenure system existed as land was governed by customary laws. Today, the 1995 Uganda constitution recognizes four land tenure systems including Mailo, Lease Hold, Free Hold and Customary land tenure systems to which over 70% of land in Uganda fall.
Byte… Denis Obbo, PRO MLHUD
With land contributing more criminal cases and overwhelming case backlogs in the courts, its only prudent to galvanize synergies towards a fast and fair resolution mechanism to deal with this social problem that creates cycles of distrust and violence.
FILED IN JUNE & RUN 1ST JULY, 2024