Ismail Tuku Lugbara Kari Prime Minister. Courtesy photo
Arua, Uganda | The Prime Minister of Lugbara Kari Cultural Institution Ismail Tuku has cautioned people in the West Nile region against rushing to sell land in Arua city. On Wednesday, Arua city and other six cities started operations.
In an interview with Uganda Radio Network, Tuku said according to the Lugbara culture, land is not sold to make money for personal use because it belongs to the family and community.
Tuku’s warning follows reports that many people in the town are disposing off their land to investors after it was elevated to city status.
In the past one month, several land owners in the seven sub counties in Ayivu now a division in Arua city rushed to sell away part or most of their land which they suspect could be of interest to the city authority and also in Leju, the new Terego district headquarters.
Tuku also urged the local government leaders to respect and protect the customary land attachment to the people of Lugbara.
The clerk to Lugbara Kari council Jaffer Alekua explained that there is need to educate the people of Lugbara especially those in the new Terego district where many financially able people have reportedly rushed to purchase land.
He says that the land owners should share investment on the land than disposing it off completely.
With the onset of Arua city and operationalization of the new Terego district which was split from Arua district, the issue of land disposal and acquisition of land titles has remained a big challenge with many land owners struggling to register their land while others have opted to dispose it off and purchase land elsewhere.
