68 Anai Residents Drag Civil Aviation Authority to Court Over Land Dispute

LIRA - 68 Anai Residents Drag Civil Aviation Authority to Court Over Land Dispute

BY FELIX OMARA

Sixty-eight residents of Anai Ward in Lira City have on Tuesday March 03, 2026 appeared before court over a land dispute involving the Civil Aviation Authority and Lira City.

The residents, through their lawyers of Okwii and Company Advocates, stated that the land in question, which belongs to the Civil Aviation Authority and is said to measure 100 acres, has inconsistencies in its land records indicating that it measures 1,285 acres, something they claim is incorrect.

The residents, who were speaking before the court and to Q Radio, said that out of the 68 complainants alleging that the Authority forcefully encroached on their land, 25 of them hold legitimate land titles officially recognized by the government.

They further explained that the land title held by the Civil Aviation Authority, issued in 2025, indicates that the main road from Lira to Apac passes through the disputed land. However, on the ground, the road does not pass through that land. They also noted that part of the land appears to extend into Kole District, which they argue raises further inconsistencies in how the title was processed and approved.

Because of this, the residents are asking the court to thoroughly investigate the processing of the Civil Aviation Authority’s land title and to cancel it, reverting the land to its original status as they know it.

The residents also accuse the Civil Aviation Authority of carrying out activities on the disputed land and destroying property belonging to the residents, despite the matter being before court. They argue that if the court determines that the land rightfully belongs to them, they should be compensated for the damage caused.

In a letter dated 20/02/2026, the Assistant Registrar of the High Court in Lira, David Sayuni, directed the Civil Aviation Authority to file its defense within 15 days from the date it received the complaint.

In his letter, Sayuni stated that if the Civil Aviation Authority fails to respond within the given time, the High Court will proceed to hear and determine the case in their absence.

Efforts to get a comment from the Civil Aviation Authority in Uganda and the Lira City Land Board were unsuccessful by the time of filing this report.