Police use firearms to access Lira disputed land

What you need to know:
- Court heard that actions of the accused parties were a deliberate move to deny officers of the Force from utilising the land thus affecting their cardinal role of keeping law and order to which the general public is a beneficiary. But the verdict came after the people had already shared the plots of land.
Police have now resorted to the use of firearms in what appears to be a desperate move to access and utilise a land under contention in Lira City.
This comes after the High Court in Lira on May 21, 2025 issued an interim order blocking the police from accessing the land at Ireda Housing Estate, Lira City West Division, pending the hearing of the main application filed by Lira District Council and Lira District Land Board.
Last Friday, however, armed police personnel were seen moving from one place to another while guarding a man preparing part of the disputed land for planting using a tractor.
Police speaks out
Superintendent of Police Patrick Jimmy Okema, North Kyoga regional police spokesperson, yesterday told this publication that Uganda Police Force is the rightful owner of the disputed land.
“I have not seen a copy of the interim injunction stopping the police from utilising that land. We are the owners of that land, and if we don’t use it, who do you want to use it?” he said by telephone.
The contentious territory is part of 12 plots at Ireda Housing Estate belonging to the Uganda Police Force, which court found were fraudulently acquired by some political leaders and civil servants around 2019 and 2020.
However, the beneficiaries allegedly used names of their mothers, daughters, brothers and wives to share the plots.
The beneficiaries of the Ireda Housing Estate land bonanza allegedly include former secretary for production and marketing, former LC5 vice chairperson, District Land Board chairperson, former Lira District speaker and senior assistant secretary at the Ministry Zonal Office in Lira.
The affected plots are part of the land belonging to the Uganda Police Force captured in the court ruling under Miscellaneous Cause number: 016 0f 2018. The case was filed by concerned Ugandans namely; Stephen Alele, Isaac Omara and Anthony Odur against the Lira District leadership and Lira District Land Board.
Background of dispute
Mr Alele previously alleged that Lira District Land Board allocated the plots when the case was already in court, and there was a court injunction on the land.
“What they did is actually contempt of court. I have already recorded a statement with the police and I am aware the former secretary for the Lira District Land Board was summoned to record a statement,” he added.
Sources said following the complaint filed by Mr Alela, former Lira District Land Board secretary Hellen Anyango, was summoned to appear at Lira Central Police Station on March 20, 2023, to assist police with investigations.
Court declared that the land adjacent to the new Akii-Bua Stadium is the property of the Uganda Police Force and that any transfer or sale of the land is illegal.
The court also issued a permanent injunction against the respondents, prohibiting them from transferring or selling the land.
Additionally, the court declared that the land, comprising residential premises, staff quarters at Ireda Housing Estate, administrative units, and residential premises at Ojwina Division (previously referred to as Lira Sub-county Administration Units) in Lira, belongs to the Uganda Police Force.
The case followed a July 2018 public notice signed by Mark Tivu, the former Chief Administrative Officer of Lira, notifying the public of the availability of plots at Erute to be developed and thus inviting the public to apply for allocation of the said plots.
Justice Alex Mackay Ajiji, the Lira resident judge, ruled that the actions of the Lira District Council and Lira District Land Board were outside their parameters for dealing with the land.
“The respondents are by law in breach of holding and interfering with the use of the property that belongs to the Uganda Police that fell in the ambit of Uganda Police upon integration of the local Administration Police to Uganda Police,” the judge ruled in February 2023.
Justice Ajiji further ruled: “A declaration that the said land comprised residential premises of staff quarters at Ireda Housing Estates and land comprising administrative units and residential premises at Ojwina Division; formerly Lira Sub County administrative units in Lira, all belong to the Uganda Police Force.”
Court heard that actions of the accused parties were a deliberate move to deny officers of the Force from utilising the land thus affecting their cardinal role of keeping law and order to which the general public is a beneficiary. But the verdict came after the people had already shared the plots of land.
Nonetheless, Mr Alele has lodged a fresh complaint at Lira Central Police Station, demanding investigations.
“The secretary for the Land Board never respected the court order and went ahead with the allocation of these plots,” he said.