Kampala, Uganda — Two individuals have been remanded to prison by the Anti-Corruption Court over the illegal acquisition and destruction of a section of the Lira Central Forest Reserve, a protected area under Ugandan law.
The accused are Omara Geoffrey, former Physical Planner for Lira City, and Okello Lawrence, a prominent businessman.
They are charged with abuse of office, fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title, conspiracy to commit a felony, altering boundary marks, and illegal use of protected land for commercial purposes.
Prosecution, led by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), revealed that in 2018, Omara fraudulently issued a forwarding letter to the Lira District Land Board, falsely stating that the Lira City Physical Planning Committee had approved a leasehold title for part of the Lira Central Forest Reserve.
Based on the forged documents, a land title was issued and later transferred to businessman Okello Lawrence, who cleared part of the forest, dumped marram, and began construction of a petrol station — despite clear warnings from the Ministry of Water and Environment that the area was protected and construction was illegal.
Omara Geoffrey has two previous convictions related to the illegal disposal of government land in Lira.
Authorities believe he exploited his former position to manipulate planning procedures for personal gain.
Investigators also revealed that Okello allegedly acted with political protection, allowing him to defy government orders and proceed with construction on restricted land.
The prosecution is now expanding inquiries to identify high-level officials who may have colluded in the fraudulent land deal.
The court ordered the two suspects to be remanded until May 6, 2025, pending further investigations.
Environmentalists and civil society groups have condemned the destruction of the forest reserve and demanded prosecution of all parties involved, including those in positions of power who facilitated or protected the illegal act.
Authorities have pledged to pursue all culprits linked to the land fraud, vowing that no one will be shielded, regardless of their influence or position.
