MADI-OKOLLO LAND SAGA: LC3 Boss Wants Justice Kania’s Land Title Cancelled

MADI-OKOLLO. The Ogoko Sub-County Chairperson in Madi-Okollo district has called for the cancellation of the land title which was transferred in the name of Justice Rosette Comfort Kania, a High Court Judge, after unclear acquisition of land in the area.

Sunday Isaac Dubo announced the decision on Friday, May 9, 2025 in Biacici village, Yachi Parish, Ogoko Sub County where Justice Kania was expected for an out of court negotiation over a chunk of land measuring 167.5098 Hectares (about 413 acres) she bought from a one Augustine Asea.

Asea, however, passed on in March this year, barely a month to the date he was supposed to appear in court to explain the circumstances under which he acquired and sold the contested land to Justice Kania.

This is after locals accused him of forging the land title in which he allegedly grabbed their land, captured water sources and also community access roads as opposed to leasing the 23 acres of land he genuinely acquired from them.

Upon Asea’s demise, Samuel Ondoma of Alaka and Company Advocate, the lawyer representing the locals, said Justice Kania called for an online meeting which was held on April 23, 2025 in an effort to explore chances of settling the matter out of court.

In the meeting, it was agreed that the two parties should go on ground with their lawyers and surveyors on Friday, May 9, 2025 and reopen the boundaries of the land afresh.

But the locals including Wilfred Eneku whose land was also captured in the alleged fraudulent title, turned up for the meeting with their lawyer and surveyors only to be shocked by a communication from Justice Kania’s lawyer, Renato Kania that his client wasn’t turning up for the talks.

It is for this reason that Dubo said his office is going to start the process of ensuring that Justice Kania’s land title is cancelled.

“I’m really very sad because when I got information that the two parties will be here, I expected Justice Kania to personally come. The landlords who sold the land are all here today and they are already disappointed,” Dubo said.

“To me, this land lease was fraudulently done because the information I got was that by then, the area land committee chairman’s stamp was taken by my predecessor, Patrick Atiku. Actually, he is now my district councilor, I expected him to come and clear the matter. Secondly, my observation is that the land owners were not involved in the process of acquiring the title,” Dubo added.

He further said even neighbors are supposed to be involved in the process of leasing land which was not the case in this matter.

“So, to me, this land was leased fraudulently. Now as a sub-county, we are taking up the matter and by next week, I’m going to write a letter to the district land board demanding for the cancellation of Justice Kania’s land title. We don’t want to see that title there because it was fraudulently obtained,” Dubo remarked.

He noted that Justice Kania’s coming on ground would be a solution to this matter because the landlords were willing to show the boundary of the land they sold to Asea.

Silverio Andrua, one of the landlords and also the Lc 1 Chairperson of Biacici village, said he has never seen Justice Kania, adding that the scheduled meeting was going to be an opportunity for him to see Justice Kania for the first time.

He blamed Kania for buying land without doing due diligence. Andrua said they were readily available to help Justice Kania if she had come on ground to verify the land she was buying before paying all her money to Asea from Kampala.

According to Andrua, Asea only bought 23 acres of land from them before extending to claim other areas which belong to the community.

Andrua said Asea hired private surveyors who picked coordinates of the community land without their knowledge.

Innocent Adrapi, a neighbor who appeared on the title as a witness was equally shocked to learn that his land was also captured in Asea’s title which was later sold to Justice Kania.

“I don’t know when I became their witness because nobody approached me. But I was later told that I’m a witness on the land title obtained by Asea. I’m sure they just used my name because they knew me. Otherwise, how can I be a witness for a person who has grabbed all my 8 acres of land and placed it in his title, where does he expect me to go with my children?” Adrapi asked.

Adrapi said he was expecting Justice Kania to come so that she gets the truth from them on the ground.

The case which is currently before Arua High Court Judge, Hon. Lady Justice Harriet Grace Magala, was registered by Justice Kania as civil suit number 19 of 2023 after failing to get possession of the land in question.