12,000 Acres, One Title, Many Fears: Okore’s Land Question Returns

 January 9, 2026   |    58 views

OKORE SUBCOUNTY – Land, once silent and patient, has become noisy again in Okore Subcounty. It whispers fear in homesteads, stirs uneasy conversations under trees, and keeps families half-awake at night. Just when residents thought a long-running land dispute had been buried in files and court shelves, it has risen—bearing a new title and old anxieties.

A Cancelled Title That Refused to Stay Buried

Residents of Okore subcounty in Ngariam County, Katakwi District, have petitioned their area MP and Minister of State for Education and Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, over the resurfacing of a controversial land title involving more than 12,000 acres of communal land. The land, spread across Okore, Orimon and Aminit parishes, is at the centre of a dispute that community leaders say was resolved in 2021—only to return under questionable circumstances.

According to the petition, the land was initially surveyed by one John Akubal before allegedly being sold to a Soroti-based businesswoman, Imede, who has since processed a new deed plan and land title in her name. This development has shocked residents, who say they were officially informed that the original title had been cancelled years ago.

“We Are Living in Fear” — Community Cries Out

Speaking on behalf of the affected communities, LC II Chairman Daniel Alemu questioned how the title re-emerged. “What changed? How did Akubal access the land title again?” he asked. “People are now living in fear. We don’t know our fate. Any time, we may be evicted.”

The renewed uncertainty has unsettled thousands of residents whose livelihoods depend on the disputed land, turning what was once communal ground into a source of anxiety and mistrust.

Court Battles, Caveats and a Call for Calm

Responding to the concerns, Hon. Ogwang reaffirmed that the land title had indeed been cancelled and disclosed that he had taken the unusual step of hiring private lawyers to defend the community’s interests in court. He explained that Imede challenged the cancellation, prompting the need for stronger legal representation alongside the Attorney General’s team.

“The matter is still in court and the land currently has a caveat,” Ogwang said, adding that he had also petitioned the President after discovering the alleged involvement of an NRM leader in the disputed transaction.

Meanwhile, Okore LC III Chairman Charles Ikabat urged residents to remain calm and vigilant. “We are working together and making constant follow-ups in Kampala to represent our people,” he said. 

“Let those not affected avoid politicising this matter.”

As the legal battle drags on, the people of Okore, Orimon and Aminit remain suspended between paper titles and ancestral claims—waiting for the courts to decide whether the land beneath their feet truly belongs to them, or whether eviction fears will become reality.