Two years after President Museveni appointed a judicial commission of inquiry into the Apaa land conflict—led by former Chief Justice Bart Katureebe—nothing has happened.
No hearings. No report. No answers.
Nothing.
On April 3, 2023, Museveni named Katureebe to head a five-member team mandated to dig deep into the roots of the Apaa conflict—a decades-old land dispute between communities in Amuru and Adjumani districts.
The commission was tasked with fact-finding on land ownership, boundary disputes, casualties, and displaced persons, with a six-month deadline to present its findings.
Two years later, silence.
“We gave them money to do their work,” said Kilak North MP Anthony Akol, a member of Parliament’s budget committee.
“They complained of lack of facilitation, but funds were availed. We never received any feedback or even a roadmap for their activities.”
The commission—comprising Justice Alice Mpagi Bahigaine, Justice Steven George Engwai, Ms. Joyce Gunza Hasasa, and Dr Fred Henry Bateganya—was supposed to engage community leaders, elders, and local governments in areas such as Aber, Zoka, and Kampala to find a lasting solution.
But like two earlier commissions led by former Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda and the late Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, it never took off.
“Even if the President wants them to resume now, their terms of reference have expired,” said Gilbert Oulanya, MP for Kilak South.
“It seems deliberate. Everything was provided, yet nothing started. We need to find another way.”
The conflict in Apaa is not new. For decades, communities have clashed—often violently—over land demarcations between Adjumani and Amuru, pitting Madi and Acholi residents against each other.
The conflict traces its roots back to colonial-era demarcations and was further complicated by changes in administrative boundaries and wildlife conservation policies, particularly following the gazettement of parts of the contested land as part of East Madi Wildlife Reserve.
After the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency, as displaced Acholi communities began returning to their ancestral lands in Apaa, they encountered resistance from Madi communities and government enforcement agencies claiming the area belonged to Adjumani.
Over the years, the dispute has escalated into violent clashes, displacement of thousands, deaths, and recurring military and police interventions.
Despite several government-initiated commissions and investigations, no lasting solution has been implemented, leaving affected communities in a cycle of fear, uncertainty, and frustration.
Despite numerous interventions and promises, little has changed. In fact, tensions are again rising. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have imposed a curfew following fresh killings in the region.
Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, MP for Bardege-Layibi, says government must first understand the real issues before imposing solutions.
“This isn’t just about boundaries,” he said.
“People in Apaa have lived there peacefully for years—Acholi and Madi together. When I was Gulu District Chairperson, both communities coexisted well. The wildlife and boundary issues must be handled separately.”
Despite three parliamentary committees having visited Apaa, none of their reports have been debated in Parliament.
Meanwhile, displacement, arrests, and deaths continue.
To the ordinary resident of Zoka or Kampala village in Apaa, the silence from government is deafening. A commission many hoped would deliver justice—led by a former Chief Justice no less—has vanished without a trace.
As MPs from Acholi and Madi continue to trade blame, one question lingers in the minds of the people: What next for Apaa?
