Gulu University branch closed over land wrangle
Gulu University authorities pose for a photo in front of one of the lecture halls located on the contested land. PHOTO/DENIS OUMA
What you need to know:
- Monitor understands that the district now wants the land to set up a new seed secondary school and High Court building, among others.
Gulu University’s constituent college was established on Naro’s land nearly 10 years ago.
A conflict over a 40-acre piece of land between Kitgum District Local Government and the National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) has resulted in the closure of Gulu University College located in Kitgum Municipality.
Mr Richard Okwera, the Kitgum Municipality mayor, told the Monitor on September 16 that Naro management decided to lock the university college out of its facilities after failing to amicably resolve the conflict.
Gulu University’s constituent college was established on Naro’s land nearly 10 years ago.
“We are disappointed with Naro for locking the university offices and lecture rooms; because the university is also a government facility, we expected an inter-governmental negotiation, and it was very premature and erroneous to lock out the university,” Mr Okwera said.
Whereas the university has since relocated its college to Vignato Secondary School where learning is now taking place, Mr Okwera said efforts were underway to strike a compromise with Naro to reopen the closed facilities.
The college administration offices are still housed in the buildings on the contested land while the university now occupies six classrooms and two offices at the secondary school where lectures were ongoing on September 17.
Ms Felly Auma, the university deputy spokesperson, said negotiations were ongoing between the university, the district and Naro to resolve the standoff.
“The university management is in the process of settling matter peacefully with the district and Naro; we condemn the locking of the library, Naro did not engage us and yet we did not have any problems with them or the district,” she said.
According to Ms Auma, the ongoing negotiations involve the request for the formal allocation of land to the university to allow it to begin the construction of facilities.
This publication has seen documents indicating that Naro currently possesses a land title for 90 acres of the total 130 acres. However, the district authorities want Naro to vacate the 40 acres which it equally claims ownership.
We established that whereas the 90 acres for which Naro owns a title have no single structure, most buildings established during the LRA insurgency by AVSI Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, sit on the contested 40 acres.
Both Naro and the university occupy the buildings established as AVSI as offices and lecture rooms.
“That entire estate is 130 acres in total, and Naro has genuine claims over this land for which there is a title, we are waiting for the boundary land opening and further guidance from the Ministry of Agriculture on the way forward,” an official from Naro in Kitgum, who requested anonymity, said by telephone.
The official added: “There should be a dialogue between the district leadership and Naro and an urgent intervention by the ministries of Local Government, and Agriculture because if it’s left to the local government alone, we shall not manage to solve the matter.”
However, Mr Okwera said Naro should be relocated to a more spacious location.
“Naro’s significance in the heart of the municipality is not visible, we recommend that we relocate NARO to a facility that is large enough to facilitate their research works and agricultural activities, and we have such land outside the municipality,” Mr Okwera said.
Last week, Mr Jimmy Ebil, the Kitgum RDC, held a meeting between Naro and the district leaders over the matter.
Monitor understands that the district now wants the land to set up a new seed secondary school and High Court building, among others.
During the meeting, Mr Christopher Obol Arwai, the Kitgum District chairperson, said it is not proper to allow Naro to keep holding the land that it has failed to maximally use for decades yet there are pressing development projects in the area that require it.
In an interview, Mr Ebil said the meeting resolved that the status quo of the land be maintained and that a boundary opening be conducted within 14 days.
