28 land owners in Binya Parish, Orapwoyo Sub County have been given directive to either sell their land or faced forceful eviction by the state house instructed by Anthony Okello aka Aduca, the brother to the late Haret Aber Salim Saleh. Every household in Aceng village, upon writing their names were told to go to Acholi Inn Hotel in Gulu to go and received their money, later they will be taken to Stanbic Bank branch, Gulu City to get their money, the beneficiary confirmed the business deal
GULU CITY-MONDAY, August 4, 2025.
By Okumu Livingstone Langol
Gen. Charles Awany, the Commander of UPDF Reserved Forces, vowed to stop illegal land sales that took place at Aceng village, Binya parish, Orapwoyo Sub. County and those who bought the Agula communal land will lose their money.
“George Lapir Aligez, go and let the Agula clan chairman call for the meeting, I will come with Bradgate Commander to address the community, I am not aware of the money being dumped in the Acholi Inn hotel, and I am not part of the land grabbing being orchestrated within my hotel, those who buy community land their money will never be refunded.” Gen. Charles Otema Awany swore.
George Lapir Aligez, codified to our Correspondent that on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 7:30 AM Local African times he and Okene Calvin went to see Gen. Otema at Acholi Inn to present before him the illegal sales of land at Aceng village. Luckly, Gen. Otema reassures us that he will deal with those who manipulate the community to grab their land while using his name, he will deal with them without mercy.
“I shed tears before Gen. Otema Awany, because of anger in me, as sat down before General Otema, I looked at his big stomach as big as the pot. I was wondering if this man will let my people in Agula clan be without land. Because Binya Agula is our ancestral land, our identity as the Agula clan.” George Lapir Aligcez stressed.
On Thursday, July 31st 2025. George Aligcez, Ms. Joyce Laker and Okumu Lucam went on a fact finding in Binya, Aceng village to see if really their land was sold. On reaching Aceng village at midday. According to the Guardian News Correspondent an eye witness account fond indeed the land was sold to one person called Okello Anthony aka Aduca. We have found a marked stone “Ug 0638” land demarcation at the foot of Aceng Hill.
Okello Otit, the clan leader of Agula says when he learned that all Aceng village community land was sold, on his first visit to meet the community, those people denied that he was not even the clan chairman of Agula. When Micheal Maci, the Chairman of the Area Land Committee of Orapwoyo convened the meeting, I was even told that I would be abducted, kidnapped and killed by Kibwota Ayaa, who was my predecessor of the Agula clan. Who is one of the people who sell the community customary land.
“When I learned that Aceng community land was forcefully being sold, I even wrote a letter of complaint to the office Omoro District Commissioner (RDC), complaining that there are groups of people who forcefully telling people to sell their land, saying whether they like or not their land will be taken. Because the government has an interest in Aceng village land. Since the government of Uganda has discovered that there are big minerals at Aceng Hill.
“” When I confronted Emmanuel Akena, the surveyor who forcefully put mark stone, the chairman of Area Land Committee Micheal Maci called for the meeting that attracted 28 people, including those who sold their land forcefully. In the meeting I told the area land committee that as chairman of the Agula clan. Did not agree on the sale of land, later I learned that the miniates and our signatures were used as the agreement to sell the land.” Okello Otit decried.
Ayoo Filda Latyeng, in her remark says, when Okello Anthony aka Aduca and his team came to them she refused that their land will not be sold, but part of her land measuring 20 heaters was grabbed by Okello Anthony. Her husband Latyeng was told to go to Acholi Inn and get his money. He was among the people who went and got their money from Acholi Inn. Each acre of land was paid at UGX 1.2 million and out of 20 hectares of land, my husband got UGX 5 million, Ayoo Filda Latyeng narrates.
Kidega Dacta as is known in the village after the sales of Aceng village land he reportedly got a mental problem, Odoko Lapoya literally he is mad man according to the village curses.
His wife, Magaret Achiro Kidega after bowing to pressure from Okello Anthony is using Aeroplan from Uganda Geology surveying minerals at the foot of Aceng hill, he is scaring community that the government of Uganda has interest of the land because of the minerals endowed like phosphate, iron ore copper and salt among others.
Ayoo Filda revealed that Magaret Achiro Kidega and many others who have been compellingly to sell their land, are mobilizing those who are against land grabbing that they will face kidnap and alienation should they talk ill of them. Their action has forced many people to abandon sleeping in their houses and they are seeking refugees elsewhere.
Muzee Apaca, 80 years old, is the only elders at Aceng village, and his son Latyeng are the only people who refused to come under pressure to sell or dispose.
When the area Local Council I of Aceng village organized the meeting a week ago, he came and held the meeting at my home here saying the person who bought the land gave 8 ultimatums for the community to leave their land. saying by Feb. next year 2026, the owner of the land (Gen. Salim Saaleh), wanted to bring in his cattle, and he wanted to open an access road for the community.
“For many times, whenever I hear that some strange people come to buy land, I always voiced my concerns, once upon a time there was a Whiteman who came here, he wanted to buy land, but when I told him that there is no land for sale. He left without raining another dust. But with the latest event, I was only told after the community were forcefully emotionally beaten to sell their land.
Rwot Jimmy Ochan Luwala, Rwot Puranga has called for his chiefdom to be clam, Rwot Jimmy Ochan Luwala Puranga has directed his Prime Minister Godwin Okello to called for Puranga Cabinet meeting that will take place on Saturday, August 9, 2025.
“I have summoned cabinet meeting to take place soon, I am not happy for sales of land at Aceng hill, in 2010 we had a serious meeting with George Lapir Laligecz and the Agula clan leaders, me as Rwot Puranga we called for Rwot Pabal who’s his subjects were encroaching in Puranga area.
This issue is simple; we have some issues that need to be discussed.” Rwot Jimmy Ochan Luwala warned.
Kibwota Ayaa, Odong Wang OO, Achiro Magaret Kidega, Alex Latim, Ojok Simon, Lukwiya Charles, Mego Arech are those who succumbed to pressure from statehouse agents selling their land at give way price.
The Acholi traditional leaders have expressed fear of President Museveni Elective orders number 3 and numbers they call the dangerous commodification of land, environmental degradation, and the growing numbers of land disputes associated with the presence of land grabbing.
The analytical views across Northern Uganda, especially from the politician who hailed from Omoro, have been questioning the presence of Gen. Salim Saleh based in Gulu City.
Betty Layika says it is part of creeping displacement under the guise of private land ownership; she questioned the presence of Gen. Saleh in Acholi land being supported by Gen. Otema Awany.
Says Gen. Salim Saleh was chased from Karamoja Sub region, the West Nile Sub Region, why and in whose interest, he serves, Betty Layika echoed.
Ojok Dennies Langol, a resident of Lakim village expressed his fury at the failure of the government of Uganda in implementation of the Juba Peace Talks agreement. Says when the guns went silent in 2006, during cessation of hostility. Over two million people were hosted in Internal Displaced People ‘s camps. The government programmer never favored Acholi communities as part of military remedy. Our children should have been given free education across, starting from primary schools’ education, secondary and post-secondary education including university.
Ojok stressed that the government of Uganda used poverty-stricken population that had emerged squalid IPD camps as part of genocide schemes.
“’How can a poor man be living in a remote area deep in a village who has not seen UGX 1 million in his life. When you offer UGX 1 million will he not decide to sell all his land. Even give you his wife and daughter as free gift to you.”’ Ojok sarcastically reasoned.
