Thousands face eviction over govt farming project in Acholi

A decision by the government to embark on large-scale commercial farming in the Acholi Sub-region could render thousands of locals across Amuru, Lamwo and Pader districts homeless.

On July 14, President Museveni directed the Office of the Prime Minister and the Finance Ministry to provide all that was required to embark on large-scale food production to fight hunger.

The President was responding to a July 13 letter by Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze, in which he proposed the need for deliberate government interventions to boost food security as the country faces long periods of drought due to climate change.

“I agree and approve of your plan to assist the Uganda Prisons, the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and big farmers in Northern Uganda and other areas to engage in large-scale production,” Mr Museveni wrote.

Mr Museveni’s directive was followed by an August 1 Cabinet sitting, which agreed to support the proposed interventions.

“Institutions shall be given grants and private large-scale farmers shall receive interest-free loans. The following commodities will be promoted with the attendant acreages; maize (114, 219 acres), soybean (59,900 acres), beans (22, 810 acres), and sorghum (2,720 acres). This totals to 224,650 acres,” part of the Cabinet memo reads.

According to the deal, Uganda Prisons got 50,000 acres, UPDF (10,000 acres), NEC (5,280 acres), veterans (4,707 acres), National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) (10,000 acres), and National Animal Genetic Resources Centre & Data Bank ( NAGRC& DB - 30,000 acres) while private large scale farmers got a combined 314,000 acres.

In effect, NAGRC &DB and Uganda Prisons early last month started clearing part of their land belonging to Aswa Ranch in Angagura Sub-county, Pader District. However, neighbouring communities have cried foul, saying some of their land has been encroached on in the process.

On September 16, NAGRC&DB handed over 30,000 acres of land in Laguti Village to Uganda Prisons for maize and soybean production.

Affectwed residents

However, residents said during the allocation, NAGRC&DB adjusted the land boundary and extended it to the community.

In Angagura Sub-county (Pader), seven villages with a combined 745 households have been affected. The affected villages include Bur-lobo, Pabit, Bira, Labwoto, Lubala, Aringo-yon and Leyo-gweyo.

Other affected villages are in Laguti Sub-county, and they include; Lakwor, Kalili, Onyon, Lagot-Oywee and Lakakanya. Another 200 households in Te-Okot Village, Bar Lyec Parish, Got Apwoyo Sub-county in Nwoya District fear being evicted. Mzee John Watmon, 89, a resident of Kalili Village, said it is “saddening that NAGRC is encroaching on people`s land, planting mark stones and taking coordinates of land in the area at night.”

“We need to understand how the government now claims to hold freehold titles of the land subsequently extending boundaries beyond the initial known borders,” he said during an interview at the weekend.

Mr Robert Okumu, the Laguti Sub-county chairperson, said the area land committee and the District Land Board were not consulted.

“This means that our people will be left homeless, they will be pushed out and crops planted; this is an act of impunity. We are not sabotaging a government programme but it should come in broad daylight,” Mr Okumu said.

In Angagura Sub-county, homes of several people living near Acholi Ranch have been included into the fraction of land given to Uganda Prisons, which is said to measure more than 3,400 acres.

Meanwhile, in Te-Okot Village, Got Apwoyo Sub-county, Nwoya District, NAGRC&DB has started clearing a five square miles of land, similarly sparking off protests from residents, especially members of the Ariya Clan.

Rwot Picho Oywelo, the chief of Ariya Clan, accused NAGRC of encroachment and threatening to evict occupants as well as destroying a cultural shrine and sites.

Ms Judith Peace Acan, the Nwoya District Woman MP, said there seems to be a deliberate plan by the government to take over all land and leave the poor people landless.

But Mr Peter Baine, the executive director of NAGRC&DB, instead blamed the community for encroaching on government ranches.

Nevertheless, he said, sensitisation of the community, especially those that had encroached on government land, was ongoing.

“Such situations are expected given that population size is increasing and land size is not, we have a few pockets where people have encroached on government land. We are not taking down anyone`s house for now. We hope the community members can cooperate,” Mr Baine said.

Given that the project is season-dependent, Mr Baine said they cannot make any further delays. He added that the identified land will be fenced off and security deployed to guard it.

“The production of this food is dependent on the rains, we hope that irrigation can come in later, so we are time-barred, the land is being opened up; tillage operations are happening and planting is already being done, so we can catch up with the rains,” Mr Baine said.

Mr Robert Ssenozi, a board member of NAGRC &DB, said they will engage their surveyors so that all the boundaries, especially in areas with contestation, are reopened.

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