Rwamirama said even if the government has leased the ranches all over the country, it is to produce oil seed crops to feed the oil and soap industries.
The State Minister of Agriculture Animal Industries and Fisheries, Bright Rwamirama has called for a fresh survey, remapping and opening of the boundary
of the contested land hosting Aswa ranch.
The Minister said this on Wednesday while visiting Lamwo District headquarters.
In
1968, the community reportedly leased 105,400 hectares of land to Uganda Livestock Investment for
fattening animals.
Sisto Ocen Oyet, the
chairperson of Lamwo district, said when the community gave the land, the government
fenced and compensated the locals for only 63,000 hectares, and not the whole
of 105.400 hectares, implying that the remaining hectares do not belong to
Uganda Livestock Investment.
However, over the past months, residents and leaders in Lamwo district
have been complaining that National Animal Genetic Resources Centre (NAGRC), which was in
2016 given a lease to use the land has extended the boundaries beyond the
original 63,000 hectares.
“My people of Lamwo are
not refuting that there is no Aswa Ranch. Their issue is Aswa Ranch does not
cross the border to Lamwo,” said Oyet.
According
to leaders the given land only covered the areas of Bur Lobo, Okobo, Bangalore,
Labiti, Tino, and Obwol Odeya, all in Pader District. However, Oyet said when
NAGRC got a lease in 2016, a new map detailing the boundaries was printed, which
started causing contention among the locals.
Oyet said the new map
now includes sub-counties in Lamwo such as; Palabek Gem, Palabek Ogili and
Palabek Abera, yet the ranch does not reach up to Lamwo district.
//Cue in: “A new map…
Cue out: …inside Aswa ranch.”//
Geoffrey Osborn Oceng, said the information in the public domain is that the
government compensated only people for 63,000 hectares, and the remnants of the
wires used to fence the area are still available.
Oceng revealed that when he went to Uganda Livestock Industries to find
out the truth about the land, he was given a document that now shows that the
land is freehold, yet it was under leasehold.
//Cue in: “They gave me…
Cue out: …interactions with them.”//
However, the State Minister for Agriculture, Animal
Industries, and Fisheries advised the leaders to get their technical team to ensure that the
ranch is surveyed. He said if the government has leased the ranches all over the
country, it is to produce oil seed crops to feed the oil and soap industries.
//Cue in: “We shall come…
Cue out: …not shifting anywhere.”//
Another issue of contention is the use of 30,000 hectares part of the
ranch by Uganda Prisons Services to grow cereals.
On September 16, Gadison Tushabomwe, the Manager in Charge of
the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre (NAGRC) in Pader district handed
over the land to Uganda Prisons Services represented by Margaret Orik Obonyo,
the Northern Region Prisons Commander, raising concerns among leaders and the
community.
However, Rwamirama said the government decided to use all
ranches in the country to grow food and solve food insecurity in the country and
also to produce foundation seeds for beneficiaries of the Parish Development
Model-PDM.
