Kitgum District Council has deferred a request by the Uganda Police Force for land needed for the Aswa East Regional Police Headquarters. The council is ordering a review of the district’s existing land assets before any new allocation is made.
Councillors raised concerns that several parcels of district land previously allocated to government institutions remain undeveloped, with some lacking clear physical boundaries or evidence of planned development.
The request was made in a September 30, 2026 letter by Senior Superintendent of Police Ben Okae, the Aswa East Regional Police Commander, who asked the district to provide land in Kitgum for construction of a permanent regional police facility.
Okae said the facility was needed to accommodate the region’s expanding operational requirements and improve working conditions for police personnel.
He assured the district that the land would be used strictly for office accommodation in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.
However, councillors rejected an immediate allocation of additional land from the District Farm Institute property, arguing that the district has already reserved part of the same land for justice-sector infrastructure.
In 2025, the district set aside 12 acres for the proposed Kitgum High Court Circuit. Councillors said the same parcel could accommodate the High Court, police administrative offices and the Law Development Centre, all of which serve functions within the justice and law enforcement sector.
John Bosco Ocen, the councillor representing Orom Sub-County, said institutions that have already been allocated district land should first develop those plots before seeking additional property.
Ocen also cited land allocated to Gulu University, arguing that the district should first establish how previously allocated land has been used before making further commitments.
Sarah Aber, the female councillor representing Amida and Amida West, supported the position, suggesting that the police should use the land already reserved for the judiciary rather than acquire additional district property.
The councillors also questioned the status of several other parcels previously allocated to government institutions and other entities, saying some have not been physically demarcated or developed.
Dayan Ocitti, the councillor for Lalano Sub-County, called for a comprehensive review of the district’s land holdings and the status of previous allocations before new land is given out. He said the police, judiciary, and Law Development Centre could share the land already reserved for justice-sector functions.
Simon Kidega, the councillor for Kitgum Matidi Sub-County, proposed that institutions seeking district land should be required to submit detailed development and structural plans before allocations are approved. Kidega also suggested that the police explore ways of maximising land already occupied by its facilities, including redeveloping the Central Police Station vertically rather than seeking additional district property.
The council said it also needs to establish the actual size of the District Farm Institute land before considering any further allocation.
Kitgum District Council Speaker Charles Oryem Olweny directed the District Executive Committee and the district technical team to verify the acreage of the DFI property, following conflicting records that put its size at either 70 or 94 acres.
Olweny said the review should also establish whether the police genuinely require additional land and, if so, determine the appropriate acreage.
He cautioned against allocating district land to institutions that do not develop it, saying such allocations could effectively tie up public land for future use while current needs remain unmet.
The council has therefore deferred the police request pending the verification of the district’s land assets, the status of previous allocations and the actual land requirements of the proposed regional police headquarters-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
