Residents of Biacici village, Yachi Parish, Ogoko Sub County in Madi Okollo district are demanding the revocation of a land title held by High Court Judge Rosette Comfort Kania. The title, acquired through a transaction with the late businessman Augustine Asea, covers a substantial portion of land originally designated as community property.
The dispute arose when locals discovered that Asea, who had purchased 23 acres in the area in 2018, later processed a title for 167.5098 hectares (approximately 413 acres), incorporating community land, roads, and water sources. The community claims that Asea misrepresented the land’s boundaries and sold the inflated title to Justice Kania for over UGX 100 million. Upon transferring the title to her name, Justice Kania realized that the land encompassed property belonging to others.
When Justice Kania attempted to access the land, residents blocked her, insisting that public roads and water sources had been wrongly included in the title. In response, she filed a case against Asea for theft and fraud. However, Asea went into hiding and failed to appear in court.
Asea passed away a month ago in Arua hospital due to high blood pressure, and his body was laid to rest in Wandi, Terego district. During a court session on January 21, 2025, presided over by Justice Harriet Grace Magala, Kania’s lawyer, Renato Kania, stated that efforts to locate Asea had been unsuccessful. The case was postponed to April 24, 2025, but proceedings were delayed once again due to the judge’s absence.
During the April 25 hearing, it was revealed that Asea had passed away, resulting in yet another adjournment of the case. In response to the repeated delays, Samuel Ondoma, the lawyer representing residents whose land had been wrongfully included in Asea’s fraudulent title, criticized Justice Kania’s decision to purchase the land without first verifying its legitimacy on-site.
The land dispute took a new turn when a meeting was convened on Friday in Biacici village to seek a resolution. Despite confirming their attendance, Justice Kania and her lawyer failed to appear, frustrating the residents. During the gathering, the community, led by Ogoko Sub County LC 3 Chairman Sunday Dubo Isaac, resolved to request the cancellation of the disputed land title and to restore ownership of only the original 23 acres that Asea had initially purchased.
Dubo vowed to formally petition the lands office to revoke the fraudulent title and cautioned against the use of intermediaries in local land transactions.
John Leku, LC 2 Chairman of Yapi Parish, expressed skepticism about Justice Kania’s willingness to resolve the issue, noting her reluctance to engage with the community directly.
Brian Ngaka, representing Counsel Ondoma, conveyed concerns raised by Justice Kania’s lawyer, Erinato Kania, who claimed they had received information suggesting that the Biacici community might attempt to ambush them—a claim firmly rejected by the residents.
The case is set to resume at the Arua High Court on July 8, 2025, under Civil Suit Number 19 of 2023.
