By Mulengera Reporters
Nancy Oryema, granddaughter of Uganda’s first African Inspector General of Police (IGP), the late Erinayo Wilson Oryema, has revealed that her family is facing a second wave of illegal occupation on their ancestral land in Nwoya District.
The land, located in Tangi Village, Pabit West Village, Pabit Parish, Purongo Sub-county, had been protected for decades despite past turmoil. The family fled to the United Kingdom in the 1980s during the LRA conflict in Northern Uganda, when their home was reportedly used as a base by NRA commanders. During their absence, their house was destroyed, and properties looted, though the land itself remained intact, fenced, and safeguarded by neighbors.
Nancy explained that in 2018, following a legal victory in 2016 against an aunt who made unlawful claims, new disputes emerged. She alleged that some individuals, including foreign nationals, attempted to occupy the land but were initially stopped by the police. The family first became aware of claims by a woman named Beatrice Achola in 2019, who Nancy says had never lived on the land and did not know its boundaries. Nancy claims Achola used an unlicensed surveyor, Julius Kidega, who allegedly created unauthorized subdivisions and planted false documents at the Gulu Zonal Land Office.
According to Nancy, Achola has since resorted to taking the law into her own hands, placing new markstones sometimes with soldiers on neighboring land. She further alleges that anyone who complains is threatened by certain police officers at Nwoya Central Police Station. Nancy says violence has occurred, with attacks and intimidation carried out by private security and even soldiers, prompting the family to file multiple cases.
The family has a long history of legal action to protect the property. Nancy recounted that in 2018, after reporting incidents to the Inspector General of Police, investigations were carried out by the Deputy IGP and the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CIDR). Some intruders fled, while others were arrested for aggravated robbery, malicious damage, and trespass. She contrasts this with the current situation, alleging that orders from DIG Ochaya favor unlawful eviction and land takeover.
Nancy highlighted previous legal victories, such as the 2016 case confirming the family’s rights to the land. Courts had canceled all inconsistent transactions and confirmed the family’s title, halting unauthorized plowing and destruction of fences. These early successes helped protect the property and deter illegal occupation.
However, Nancy said a second wave of intrusion has begun, with individuals returning to the land, often accompanied by police from Nwoya CPS, armed private security, and sometimes soldiers. She claims that on May 3, 2024, Ukrainian nationals entered the land, damaging gates, destroying crops, and intimidating local residents. Nancy also alleges that evidence, including CCTV footage of these incidents, has been tampered with under the watch of Nwoya CPS land desk corporal Frank Kyamanywa.
She added that while some officials, like General Charles Awany Otema, commander of the UPDF Reserve Force, have intervened to remove soldiers and enforce the law, other authorities, including the DIGP Ochaya, have allegedly biased investigations in favor of intruders.
Nancy’s grandfather, the late IGP Erinayo Wilson Oryema, was a prominent figure in Uganda’s history, serving as the first black Inspector General of Police and later as Minister of Lands. His assassination in 1977, alongside Archbishop Janani Luwum and Minister Oboth Ofumbi, left the family vulnerable during a turbulent political period, facilitating initial illegal occupation of their land.
Nancy affirmed that the family remains committed to reclaiming and securing their property. They have filed multiple cases, including for aggravated robbery, attempted murder, trespass, and malicious damage. Despite intimidation and threats, Nancy says the family will not be silenced and will continue legal action.
The Oryema family’s experience underscores broader challenges in Uganda regarding land protection, even for historically prominent families. Nancy emphasized the importance of clear property records, transparent law enforcement, and accountability, especially in areas affected by historical displacement and political instability. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
