Apac man kills brother in fight over six-acre family land

A 38-year-old man in Acinanga Village, Alworoceng Parish, Ibuje Sub County in Apac District is accused of killing his stepbrother in a fight over ownership of the family land.

Richard Onapa who is now on the run reportedly picked a quarrel with his younger brother Jasper Ekwaro, 24, over whose name the six-acre family land should be registered during the ongoing government project of land registration for acquiring of the certificate of customary land ownership.
Ekwaro died instantly after being hit by a blunt object at around 3pm on Friday.

The area LCI chairperson, Mr Bonny Okello, said police from Kidilani Police post visited the scene and recorded statements from other family members.
“During the argument over land Ekwaro called his stepbrother a bastard who didn’t have any right to own the land at their home. Onapa picked stones and started pelting at Ekwaro who dodged them. He (Onapa) then picked a big piece of fire wood which he used to hit him on the forehead. He died instantly,” Mr Okello narrated.

Their neighbor, Mr Moses Baranaba, who’s also the Ibuje Sub County chief urged members of the public who have information about Onapa’s whereabouts to report to authorities.
“Onapa ran away after realizing that his brother is dead. So, I am calling upon anyone who will see him to repot to police or the local leaders,” he said.
Apac DPC, Mr Rogers Kapere said police investigations into the murder were underway.

Land fights have become a nightmare in many Ugandan homes across the country.
A 2020 report titled, “Deep dive into land justice in Uganda”, by The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law, indicated that one in every four Ugandans experiences land-related injustice, with vulnerable groups such as the poor, widows and orphans experiencing severe consequences. 
The report also showed that some Ugandans are not certain about how to acquire land in a legal and secure manner, with many being ignorant about fair resolution of their land justice problems.

The costs involved in land dispute resolutions render many helpless. Many of the other concerns arose from unresolved land issues and rampant evictions of bibanja holders, especially in the central region.
A report dubbed “Justice Needs and Satisfaction in Uganda 2024” released last month shows that 42 percent of the people have been involved in land disputes.
Also, 23 percent of the people had experienced more than one legal problem, considering land disputes as the most serious.

“In terms of age, land problems are significantly more common as the most serious problem among older people than younger people, especially people over the age of 40, often indicate their most serious problem is a land problem,” the report that was launched on March 21, 2024 by Principal Judge Flavian Zeija, read in part.