Over 300 households in Lakalac and Kalaga villages in Amaa parish, Kochgoma sub-county, Nwoya District are facing eviction for allegedly settling on land that is being claimed by two families.

The families of Mr Luka Abe and Mr Damaji Oketcha are claiming ownership of over 6,000 hectares of land. However, according to the LC3 Chairperson of Kochgoma sub-county, Mr John Bosco Okullu, although the two families have land in the villages, they are fraudulently evicting over 300 families. “It is true that these two families own land in the area, but it is not as big as they are claiming, as leaders, our stand is clear; they cannot evict our people from land that is not theirs. We have told them to produce documents relating to the land in question in vain,” he said.

Part of the contested land includes Kalang Primary School, which the two families are demanding to be relocated.

Ms Tereza  Angee, 68 who will be affected by the eviction, told Acholi Times that the land belongs to their ancestral where they were brought up, “why should we leave our own land because some rich persons in the area say so?” she asked.

Ms Lakot Philder, 67, said the two families uprooted their plants last year while pushing for their eviction. She added that the families have been out of the country for years but on returning to Uganda, they started claiming the land that has been their livelihood for decades.

“Where do they want us to go? We have been on this land for years, our grandfathers have also been buried here, so how can they claim ownership of the land at this time?” she said.

The two families however, reiterate that they only offered the land to the current occupants temporarily when they went out of the country and it’s now time for the families to relocate elsewhere, something the community contests.

Meanwhile, speaking at a community meeting, the area Member of Parliament, Mr Richard Todwong, advised the residents to keep calm and patient as the issue is being handled at a “higher level.”

Last month over 4,000 people were evicted at the neighbouring district of Amuru by the Uganda will Life Authority arguing that the community had encroached on the game reserves.