Tororo councillors challenge chairperson over public land handed to DPP
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Councillors in Tororo District say chairperson John Okea allocated public land next to Amagoro Court to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions without council or technical approval, and that construction has continued despite a stop order.
A dispute has emerged in Tororo District over the allocation of public land to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for office construction, with councillors accusing district chairperson John Okea of bypassing established procedures. The contested site, located next to Amagoro Court in Tororo Municipality, is already under construction.
District speaker Eddy Obella said key administrative and technical offices were not involved in the process, raising questions about the transparency and legality of the transaction. "The CAO's office is not aware about it, my office is not aware about anything, the physical planning unit is not aware about anything. The transaction is just between DPP and the chairperson," Obella said.
He cited Section 32(1) and (2) of the Local Governments Act, arguing that the district council has authority over government property vested in local governments and that the chairperson could not independently allocate the land without the required approval. "He does not have any power to allocate anyone land because if you read the Local Governments Act, all the powers are vested in council to handle government property," he said.
A letter dated August 10, 2026 and reportedly issued by Okea states that the district council met on May 6, 2026 and approved the allocation of the land to the DPP. Councillors have challenged that account, questioning why the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) did not formally communicate the alleged resolution to the prosecution agency. Councillor Michael Choki said that if the council had approved the allocation, the resolution should have gone to the ministry and the CAO should have written to the DPP on council's behalf, not the chairperson's office.
The CAO's office subsequently intervened. In a letter dated September 24, 2026, it directed the district engineer and the Resident District Commissioner to stop the construction, citing failure to follow the required land acquisition procedures. Construction has nonetheless continued, which Choki said undermines the council's mandate over government land.
The row has also raised questions about the district's ability to secure land for future public infrastructure. Tororo is pursuing plans to upgrade Tororo Main Hospital to a regional referral hospital, a project expected to require additional land for expanded facilities and specialised services, and councillors warn that lost control of public plots could complicate that expansion.