Nwoya land row frustrates govt animal breeding drive
The State Minister for Northern Uganda, Dr Kenneth Omona, inspected Aswa Ranch in Pader District on April 25, 2025. He visited the area to establish facts on land conflicts affecting the north, including Got-Apwoyo Ranch. PHOTO/ TOBBIAS JOLLY OWINY
What you need to know:
- The facility hosts 540 Boran cattle, with fears of the ownership dispute endangering the project.
The ongoing land disputes in Nwoya District continues to hamper a government cattle breeding project, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) have said.
Dr Paul Lumu, the senior Veterinary Officer at the ministry, said conflicts over a 10-square-mile piece of government-owned land have significantly undermined efforts to improve cattle breeding and combat zoonotic diseases in the Acholi Sub-region.
"There are so many people making claims over the land, which has greatly affected the government's vision for livestock improvement," Dr Lumu said at the weekend.
The Got-Apwoyo Ranch, central to the project, was intended for livestock disease control, animal quarantine, and cross-breeding programmes to boost northern Uganda’s cattle stock. Dr Lumu said there are plans to establish a modern laboratory and genetic bank in the area, given its strategic location near the borders of the DR Congo and South Sudan.
Mr Ntambirweki Magara, a farm manager of Gotapwoyo Ranch, said wild animals such as elephants and buffaloes have worsened the situation. “They stray into the ranch at night, putting livestock and workers at risk," he said, calling for enhanced protection measures.
The facility currently hosts 540 Boran cattle, but local leaders have voiced fears that the ownership dispute endangers the project.
"So many people claim that the government set up the ranch on their ancestral land," said Mr Charles Ojera, the chairperson of Barlyec Parish. Mr Christopher Omara, the Nwoya Resident District Commissioner, called for an audit to determine how private investors acquired the contested land.
"There is a need to establish how these individuals got the land, despite it having a government title," he said.
Mr William Aliker, a family head among those claiming ownership, blamed the government for the confusion.
"We have been settled here for generations," he said, adding that disputes have led to loss of life and destruction of property. During a fact-finding visit earlier this month, Dr Kenneth Omona, the minister for Northern Uganda, said there were widespread land conflicts. "Encroachers should be compensated if necessary, but the ranch must be preserved for the region’s development," he said.
BACKGROUND
In October 2024, tensions escalated when 17 safari lodges and hundreds of families faced potential eviction following a government proposal to reclaim the land. Affected establishments include Tilenga, Heritage, and Vilakazi Safari Lodges.
An August 26, 2024 memo from Ms Dorcas Okalany, the Permanent Secretary at the Lands Ministry, stated that the land belonged to the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) and confirmed that Parliament had previously addressed the matter.
The State Minister for Lands, Mr Kania Obiga, reinforced this in Parliament on August 29, insisting that the Nwoya District Land Board had irregularly allocated the land to private individuals.
Conflicting claims also arose from a 2024 letter by Ms Peace Diana Acayo, the Secretary to the Nwoya Land Board, which suggested a portion was to be leased to Amida Investments Ltd, leaving one square mile for MAAIF.
