KAMULI, Uganda: A senior Uganda Police officer has come under scrutiny amid growing allegations accusing him of land grabbing and fraudulent acquisition of a disputed piece of land in Kagumba Sub-county in Kamuli District, triggering tensions between local residents, family members of the deceased landlord and law enforcement authorities.
Senior Commissioner of Police (SCP) Timothy Halango, who serves as Deputy Director in the Directorate of Welfare, Production and Sports and is also Chairman of Police FC, is accused by residents of Mawembe Zone of attempting to displace occupants from land they claim rightfully belongs to the family of the late Phillip Oboi.
The dispute centres on a 66-acre parcel of land in Kagumba Sub-county, where residents allege that Halango initially entered as a tenant engaged in sugarcane growing before later claiming ownership through what they describe as questionable land sale agreements.
Residents accuse the senior police officer of destroying crop gardens and attempting to take possession of the land using documents whose authenticity they contest.
One resident, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals, alleged that the commissioner colluded with a local council official to create a fraudulent land sale agreement purportedly executed before the death of the original owner.
“The land sales agreement was deceitfully made by him and the Chairperson of LCII. It beats our understanding that the document bears a stamp dated in 2019, despite the fact that official government stamps were only issued in 2022. This is theft by trick which is unacceptable,” the resident claimed.
The residents further contend that some individuals listed as witnesses on the disputed agreement had died before the death of the late Oboi, raising additional questions about the validity of the documents.
Residents Block Tractor
The standoff escalated when local residents and community leaders reportedly stopped Halango from ploughing the disputed land using a tractor, insisting that ownership questions must first be resolved.
Appearing before Kamuli Deputy Resident District Commissioner Adonia Mafumo, Halango denied wrongdoing and defended the transactions.
The police commissioner said he initially rented the land from the late Phillip Oboi before purchasing portions of it through separate agreements involving both the deceased and some of his family members.
“I do not have the locus to resolve family disputes, but the one who rented the land to me is the same person who sold me the initial acreage,” Halango said.
According to his account, he first acquired approximately 14 acres from the late Oboi and later purchased additional portions from one of Oboi’s sons following the patriarch’s death.
“When Mr Oboi passed away, his sons requested an additional Shs5 million to facilitate burial arrangements, promising land in return,” Halango stated.
The senior cop maintains that he legally acquired a total of 56.6 acres at approximately Shs1.6 million per acre and insists all transactions were conducted willingly by family members.
Leaders Raise Alarm
The dispute has attracted the attention of local leaders, who warn that tensions could escalate if the matter is not addressed promptly.
Kagumba Sub-county Female Councillor Justine Mpindi questioned the circumstances under which the disputed transactions allegedly occurred.
“During the burial ceremony for Mzee Oboi, his children publicly stated that their father had rented land to him for six years. There remains curiosity regarding how a deceased person could seemingly return to sell him land once more,” Mpindi said.
Kagumba LCIII Chairperson Bernard Kempaka accused some police officers of intimidating residents and threatening arrests in a bid to support one side of the dispute.
“We find ourselves at odds with district police officers who are threatening to arrest us in an attempt to appease their boss. This is impunity and entirely unacceptable,” Kempaka said.
He warned that local leaders are prepared to escalate the matter to the Inspector General of Police if their concerns are not addressed.
Widow Rejects Land Sale Claims
Among those challenging the transactions is 80-year-old Robinah Nakitende, one of the surviving widows of the late Oboi.
Nakitende said she does not believe her late husband sold the disputed land and suspects some family members may have fraudulently disposed of family property without proper consent.
“We received our shares from our husband during his lifetime and I am sure they concocted the land sales agreement with the other family members, but we shall pursue them,” she said.
The latest dispute comes against the backdrop of an earlier development in which authorities arrested George Batambule, the LCII Chairperson of Kibuye Parish, on April 14, 2026, following directives from the Resident District Commissioner over alleged forgery linked to the same land conflict.
The contested property belongs to the estate of the late Phillip Oboi, whose family has remained divided over ownership and succession matters since his death.
Kamuli Deputy RDC Adonia Mafumo has since assured residents that district authorities will convene a meeting involving all parties to seek an amicable resolution and prevent further escalation.
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