A heated land disagreement has broken out in Lira City, pitting a widow against a respected clan chief. The conflict, simmering for years in the Lira City West Division, has now become a public controversy.
Molly Aceng Ogwang, a mother of two, tearfully claims that Dr. Laury Lawrence Ocen, the Chief of the Okarowok Wibyeacel Clan, has illegally taken about two meters of her property in Telela Cell, Omito Ward.
Ms. Aceng states she legally bought her plot of land in 2005, a purchase that also covered rights to an access road. She began building on it in 2006 without any issues. However, problems started in 2011 when Dr. Ocen purchased the land next to hers and became her neighbor.
The dispute grew more intense when Okwang Musa, a relative of the person who originally sold the land, allegedly blocked her access road with building materials. Although local community leaders reportedly ordered Musa to clear the road, the situation worsened. Ms. Aceng claims Musa later demanded she leave the land or accept a refund, arguing she had bought it too cheaply. She also faced accusations of expanding her property onto Dr. Ocen’s land.
Adding to her distress, Ms. Aceng accuses the clan chief of using his cultural position to intimidate her. She alleges that on one occasion, over a hundred unknown individuals stormed her home, threatened her, and damaged trees on her property.
Fearing for her safety and her property, Ms. Aceng is pleading with local leaders, including Lira City Woman MP Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero and Lango Diocese Bishop Emeritus John Charles Odur Kami, as well as friends of her late husband, to step in. She seeks an impartial investigation to resolve the matter fairly.
However, Dr. Ocen has strongly denied all these claims. He insists he has not taken any of Ms. Aceng’s land and describes her allegations as completely false and without basis.