Walter Okello
Lira, Uganda | In a poignant plea from the heart of Ongura Ward, elders and former workers of Aler Farm are urging the Ugandan government to resolve a protracted land dispute before it’s too late. With memories fading and lives slipping away, these witnesses to history insist their testimonies are key to ending the wrangle between Lira District and claimant Tom Ogwal Atocon over the 1,500-acre property.
The dispute, simmering since 2011, has stalled development projects and divided communities across villages like Te-dam, Atira, Oribcing, Perac, Te-arie, Aler, Acan-kwo, and Akwara. At its core is a clash between communal land donations from the 1950s and modern claims of inheritance, pitting local elders against Ogwal Atocon’s group.
A Gift to Progress: The Origins of Aler Farm
The story begins in 1952, when Father Bruno, the parish priest of Ngetta Mission, sought land to establish a farm school. According to 80-year-old Constantino Alice Ajok, a former ox-driver at the farm, Father Bruno first approached communities in Boke and Adekokwok, but they declined. He then turned to Gideon Alyela, a tax collector in Adekokwok Sub-county, who rallied Ngurapuc Village residents.
“Gideon Alyela convened a meeting and presented the idea of development, which the community unanimously accepted,” Ajok recalled. Villagers, including Alyela himself, Quinto Ogweng, Jekeri Rwot Aler, Benakasi Kizza, Omodo Ikak, Icao Okino, Matayo Lingo, Neri Odongo, Kamilo Olok, Nua Anyima, Aloncio Awio, Tumuling Alyela, and Dila Awio and others donated their land eagerly.
Father Bruno built classrooms, dormitories, stores, and a church. But by 1958, the school faltered and closed. He handed the land over to the Lira District Administration under Adekokwok Sub-county. When the Lira Diocese later claimed ownership in court, Father Bruno testified that the land belonged to the government, prompting the Diocese to withdraw.
The government transformed the site into a prison and dairy farm, complete with “Aler Farm” signposts. Ajok expressed shock at Ogwal Atocon’s claims: “Tom Ogwal Atocon and his group emerged from nowhere and they don’t know how it was given to Father Bruno and later handed over to the government.”
Voices from the Past: Elders Speak Out
Mariko Ojan, a 75-year-old ex-worker who labored alongside Ogwal Atocon in 1958, emphasized Alyela’s pivotal role. “None of Ogwal’s relatives had a plot of land there,” Ojan said, calling for resolution while elders can testify. “We don’t want our children or grandchildren entangled in something they don’t understand.
“Francis Ogwang, 92 and born on the land in 1934, was baffled by Ogwal’s assertions. “None of Ogwal’s ancestors came from that area,” he said.
Silvina Auma, 96, recounted how villagers vacated the land for Father Bruno’s projects. After his departure, they tried cultivating again, only to be evicted by local authorities who cleared their gardens. “Since then, we have not gone back,” Auma said.
These elders argue the land remains underutilized and vulnerable. Ajok urged development initiatives: “The government should introduce projects to the redundant land to stop this wrangle.”
The Claimant’s Defense and Court Battles
Tom Ogwal Atocon, the lead claimant, maintains the land is his inheritance from his grandfather. “The land belongs to me and other members because we inherited it,” he told reporters. In 2018, Ogwal Atocon and 331 others sued Lira District after an eviction order, winning a favorable ruling from High Court Judge Alex Macky Ajiji.
However, complications arose. In December 2018, 191 residents claimed their names were included without consent, leading to a 2022 court order withdrawing them and imposing costs on Ogwal Atocon and the district.
Ogwal Atocon decried ongoing dissent: “Some people are not contented with the court ruling.”
District’s Stance: Title in Hand, Development in Sight
Lira District Chairperson RCM Okello Orik firmly defended the district’s ownership. “Lira District holds the land title for Aler Farm,” he stated. Approximately 500 acres have been allocated to the Uganda Investment Authority for development.
Okello Orik dismissed authenticity challenges: “If it were a duplicate, it would have been canceled long ago.”
The dispute has thwarted investments, including a 2025 cancellation of a 200-acre allocation to a Chinese firm for a cassava-based industrial park due to stakeholder backlash.
A Call for Closure Amid Fading Memories
As elders like Ajok, Ojan, Ogwang, and Auma grow frail, their call resonates: Resolve the Aler Farm wrangle now, while living history can guide justice. Without action, they fear the land’s legacy and their testimonies will be lost forever, leaving future generations to inherit unresolved conflict.
