Twenty-eight landowners in Binya Parish, Orapwoyo Sub-county, have been ordered to either sell their land or face forceful eviction by State House, allegedly acting under instructions from Anthony Okello, alias “Aduca,” brother to the late Haret Aber Salim Saleh.
Residents of Aceng Village were told to write down their names and go to Acholi Inn Hotel in Gulu to receive payment. Afterwards, they would be taken to Stanbic Bank, Gulu Branch, to collect the money. Several beneficiaries confirmed the transactions.
GULU CITY – MONDAY, August 4, 2025
By Okumu Livingstone Langol
Hundreds of Puranga clan leaders stormed a meeting at Acholi Inn Hotel, convened by Gen. Charles Otema Awany, to address land grabbing by state operatives.
Gen. Otema, Commander of the UPDF Reserve Forces, vowed to stop illegal sales of Agula communal land in Aceng Village, Binya Parish, Orapwoyo Sub-county. He warned that those who had bought the land would lose their money.
“George Lapir Aligez, go and tell the Agula clan chairman to call a meeting. I will come with the Brigade Commander to address the community. I am not aware of money being distributed in Acholi Inn, and I am not part of any land grabbing happening in my hotel. Those who buy community land will never get their money refunded,”
Gen. Otema swore.
George Lapir Aligez told our correspondent that on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at 7:30 a.m., he and Okene Calvin met Gen. Otema at Acholi Inn to report the illegal land sales.
“Luckily, Gen. Otema reassured us that he would deal with those using his name to manipulate the community and grab their land,” Aligez said. “I shed tears before him because of the anger I felt. As I looked at his large belly, I wondered whether this man would let my people lose our ancestral land. Binya Agula is our identity as the Agula clan.”
On Thursday, July 31, 2025, Aligez, Ms. Joyce Laker, and Okumu Lucam went to Aceng Village to confirm the sales. They found that the land had indeed been sold to Anthony Okello (“Aduca”), and saw a boundary marker stone labeled “UG 0638” at the foot of Aceng Hill.
Community Leaders Speak Out
Okello Otit, clan leader of the Agula, said that when he learned of the sale, villagers even denied he was their clan chairman. When Orapwoyo Area Land Committee Chairman Michael Maci convened a meeting, Otit was told he would be abducted or killed by Kibwota Ayaa, his predecessor, who is among those selling communal land.
“I complained to the Omoro District RDC that groups were forcing people to sell, claiming government interest in Aceng Village land because of minerals at Aceng Hill,” Otit said.
“When I confronted Emmanuel Akena, the surveyor who placed the boundary markers, we held a meeting with 28 people, including those coerced into selling. I never agreed to any sale, yet later found that our minutes and signatures were used as a sale agreement.”
Victims’ Accounts
Ayoo Filda Latyeng said Okello Anthony grabbed 20 hectares of her land despite her refusal. Her husband was pressured to collect money from Acholi Inn, receiving UGX 5 million (about UGX 1.2 million per acre).
Kidega “Dacta” reportedly developed mental health issues after the sale. Odoko Lapoya is said to have gone mad following what villagers call a curse.
Kidega’s wife, Margaret Achiro, under pressure from Okello Anthony, has been working with geological survey teams at Aceng Hill, warning the community that the government wants the land for minerals such as phosphate, iron ore, copper, and salt.
Ayoo Filda claims Achiro and others have threatened opponents of the sale with kidnapping and intimidation, forcing many to flee their homes.
Resistance
Muzee Apaca, 80, and his son Latyeng are among the few refusing to sell. When the LC1 of Aceng Village convened a meeting, residents were told that the new “owner” (Gen. Salim Saleh) had given them eight months to vacate, planning to bring in cattle and open a community access road by February 2026.
“Whenever strangers come to buy land, I voice my concern. Once, a white man came to buy land, but I told him there was nothing for sale, and he left quietly. This time, I only learned of the sale after the community was pressured into it,” Apaca said.
Traditional Leaders React
Rwot Jimmy Ochan Luwala of Puranga urged calm and has called a Puranga Cabinet meeting for Saturday, August 9, 2025.
“I am not happy about the sale of land at Aceng Hill. In 2010, we held a serious meeting with George Lapir and Agula leaders. We also called in Rwot Pabal over similar encroachment issues. This matter must be discussed,”
Rwot Jimmy warned.
Those who succumbed to pressure from alleged State House agents include Kibwota Ayaa, Odong Wang OO, Achiro Margaret Kidega, Alex Latim, Ojok Simon, Lukwiya Charles, and Mego Arech.
Wider Concerns
Acholi traditional leaders fear that President Museveni’s executive orders on land could worsen commodification, environmental degradation, and disputes.
Political voices in Omoro have questioned Gen. Salim Saleh’s presence in Gulu City. Betty Layika called it part of “creeping displacement” disguised as private land ownership, noting that Saleh had been chased from Karamoja and West Nile.
Ojok Dennies Langol of Lakim Village expressed anger at the government’s failure to honor the Juba Peace Agreement. He said that after the guns fell silent in 2006, over two million Acholi people lived in IDP camps without proper resettlement programs, including promised free education.
“How can a poor man deep in a village who has never seen UGX 1 million in his life resist selling his land? Offer him that amount and he might even throw in his wife and daughter as a bonus,”
Ojok remarked sarcastically.
If you want, I can also prepare this in journalistic format with subheadings, quotes highlighted, and legal clarity so it’s ready for publication without losing its original voice.
