Senior Police Chief Accused of 66-Acre Land Grabbing in Kamuli

A high-ranking police official is at the center of a contentious land dispute in Kamuli District, eastern Uganda. Senior Commissioner of Police (SCP) Timothy Halango, who also chairs Police Football Club, faces serious allegations of attempting to seize a 66-acre property in Mawembe Zone.

Residents, including tenants and traditional landowners, claim Halango is leveraging his influence to evict them from the land, citing irregularities in the purported sale agreement. Tensions escalated when community members physically blocked a tractor hired by the commissioner, averting a potential confrontation.

The crux of the dispute lies in the authenticity of the land documents. Locals allege that Halango, who initially leased the land for sugarcane farming, colluded with a local official to fabricate ownership papers. They point to evidence of forged sale agreements, including documentation bearing official stamps introduced years after the purported signing and with witnesses who had already passed away before the original owner’s death.

These accusations have led to an arrest, with the LCII chairperson of Kibuye Parish detained following preliminary investigations into the alleged forgery. The situation has been further complicated by conflicting narratives from the deceased landowner’s family.

While SCP Halango denies any wrongdoing, stating his acquisition was lawful and involved separate transactions with the late landowner and his sons, some family members accuse a co-wife’s son of secretly selling the ancestral land without their consent. Local political leaders have expressed deep concern, questioning how a deceased individual could sell land and warning of institutional intimidation by police officers allegedly acting to protect their superior.

Authorities are now calling for calm and have promised an inclusive mediation meeting to address the volatile situation and ensure a transparent resolution. https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/tensions-flare-in-kamuli-as-senior-police-chief-faces-accusations-of-66-acre-land-grab-5479232