DON’T SELL YOUR FUTURE: LEADERS WARN AS LAND SALES RISE IN MA’DI OKOLLO

Ma’di Okollo district headquarters signpost

By Martin Anguyo

Arua City

The growing sale of customary land at what leaders describe as “giveaway prices” is emerging as a major socio-economic concern in Ma’di Okollo District, with local authorities warning that the trend threatens household livelihoods, food security and the district’s long-term development prospects.

The concern resurfaced during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Okollo Resource Centre after reports indicated that a family was negotiating to sell more than 104 acres of land for just Shs. 800,000 per acre to a politician from Pakwach district—an offer leaders described as a stark reflection of the desperation and limited appreciation of land’s long-term economic value.

In a district where agriculture remains the backbone of household incomes, leaders fear that increasing land transactions are gradually eroding the productive asset upon which most families depend.

They argue that while land sales may provide immediate financial relief, they often leave households landless, deepen poverty and fuel future land conflicts.

Speaking during the meeting, Okollo Sub-county LC III Chairperson Asea Christopher expressed concern that his sub-county continues to register the highest number of land sales in Ma’di Okollo District.

He attributed the trend to persistent poverty, financial distress and inadequate public awareness about the economic significance of land.

Asea warned that many families sell ancestral land to address short-term financial challenges, only to find themselves without a sustainable source of livelihood in the years that follow.

He called for stronger community sensitization to help residents appreciate land as a productive asset rather than a commodity for emergency income.

“My sub county is the leading when it comes to land sell and this is the sub county when someone sells over a hundred acres of land, now 5 or 10 years to come, this native Ma’di people will not be having land” said Asea.

Adding the government’s perspective, Ma’di Okollo Assistant Resident District Commissioner Tonny Abeka urged residents to invest in the productive use of their land instead of disposing of it.

He encouraged households to embrace commercial agriculture, saying the district’s fertile soils present far greater economic opportunities than one-off land sales.

Abeka cautioned that once customary land changes ownership, many families struggle to recover economically, especially where the proceeds are quickly exhausted without any meaningful investment.

“By 2035 we don’t want to hear anybody here in Ma’di Okollo is poor, calling yourself poor, you are insulting yourself, being poor is bad. Other districts are moving forward and at the end of the day, we shall be lagging behind” he said.

The Member of Parliament for Upper Ma’di County, Hon. Martin Drito, described the rising land transactions as a challenge that demands a coordinated response from political leaders, cultural institutions, religious leaders and technical officers.

According to Drito, sustained civic education is critical to helping communities understand the long-term consequences of indiscriminate land sales, including increased landlessness, intergenerational poverty and disputes over ownership.

“I appeal to all stakeholders to work together in promoting responsible land management and protecting customary land for future generations” Hon Drito appealed.

The renewed concern reflects a broader challenge facing many parts of northern Uganda, where customary land tenure remains dominant but is increasingly coming under pressure from commercial interests, rapid population growth and rising demand for land.

While land transactions are lawful when conducted transparently and with the consent of rightful owners, development experts caution that distress sales often expose vulnerable families to prolonged economic hardship.

Analysts argue that strengthening land governance, expanding agricultural extension services and improving access to affordable credit could reduce the financial pressures that compel households to sell their land at undervalued prices.

As Ma’di Okollo seeks to accelerate socio-economic transformation, leaders insist that protecting customary land is not only an issue of ownership but also a critical investment in food security, household wealth and sustainable rural development.

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), agriculture remains the main source of livelihood for over 70 percent of Uganda’s population, with the majority of rural households depending on land for food production and income.

The Uganda National Land Policy estimates that about 75 to 80 percent of land in Uganda is held under customary tenure, particularly in northern Uganda, making it the primary asset for millions of families.

Meanwhile, studies by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development show that land disputes account for a significant proportion of civil cases in Uganda’s courts, often arising from poorly managed transactions and ownership disagreements.

Development experts warn that continued distress sales of customary land could accelerate rural poverty, reduce agricultural production and undermine the economic security of future generations.