The Arua High Court has issued a temporary injunction that restrains the Arua District local government from discussing, resolving, and relocating the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) from Arua City to a proposed site in Odumi, Vurra sub-county.
The injunction comes as a response to a case filed by former Vice Chairman of Arua District, Alioni Boniface, who has challenged the giveaway of approximately 8 acres of land to the UPDF.
The matter dates back to 2021 when Vurra County was left as a residual area following the creation of Arua City, leading district officials to demarcate spaces for various entities' relocation, including security organs.
One of the major points of contention has been the allocation of 8 acres for the UPDF in the proposed physical master plan of Arua District.
"They have indicated there that [the land is] reserved for UPDF. I want to tell them to remove it immediately. If they don't, in the shortest time possible, I am going back to court," stated Alionzi.
However, the Arua District Chairman LC V, Alfred Okuonzi, has offered a different perspective claiming that the district is relocating the military police and not the entire UPDF.
Okuonzi points to a letter dated June 5, 2022, from President Museveni, which instructs the relocation of the military police from plot 22-26 in Arua City to another location.
"People of Arua are being confused by those that want to confuse them," Okuonzi asserted. "The President's letter is very clear; it says please relocate the military police, not UPDF," noted Okuonzi.
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The letter from President Museveni also mentioned granting 3.5 hectares of army land to a developer, further emphasizing the directive for relocation.
However, Alioni Boniface remains adamant that the district should not bear the burden of relocating the barracks. He insists that the responsibility should fall under the Ministry of Defence.
"In our previous meeting, we had agreed that the investor gets an equivalent land and relocates the barracks, not the district local government. It is not the responsibility of the district but rather the Ministry of Defence," said Alioni
On the other hand, Okiswa Geofrey the RDC of the district argued that relocating the military police is essential in combating the increasing urban crime rate.
"These are special people trained to curb down urban crime. The rate of crime is increasing; people are robbed at gunpoint, and crime is planned here in the city and implemented there," stated Okiswa.
Despite the different interpretations of the President's directive, the court injunction has temporarily halted any official actions related to relocating the UPDF until the main case is resolved.
The situation remains tense as the controversy over the land allocation and the relocation of security forces continues to unfold.
The court case filed by Alioni Boniface is set to be a crucial determining factor in how this matter progresses. As both sides present their arguments, the fate of the proposed 8-acre land for the UPDF hangs in the balance.
