Sandra Ainebyoona.
The High Court in Tororo has issued an interim injunction to halt the cancellation of 21 leasehold title certificates on a disputed piece of land in Busia District. This ruling prevents the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development and Tororo Archdiocese from taking any action to cancel the titles or interfere with developments on the land until the matter is resolved.
The issue arose when a group of customary landowners sought an interim injunction in response to a notice from the Commissioner of Land Registration, Mr. Johnson Bigira, requesting the surrender of title copies for cancellation. The notice was based on a request from the Trustees of the Archdiocese of Tororo, claiming that part of their 1,208 acres of land had been encroached upon.
The disputed land spans three villages in Buteba Sub-county: Angorom, Angololo, and Amunoit. The 21 landowners are vehemently opposing any attempts to displace them and have taken legal action to protect their rights.
Tensions escalated when some locals accused officials from the Tororo Archdiocese of attempting to tamper with the land’s boundaries. However, the chairperson of the archdiocese’s land committee clarified that their intention was to address issues with illegal occupants and establish demonstration and research centers in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.
