Lira LCV Chairperson Under Fire for Controversial Land Allocation to Chinese Investor
RCM Okello Orik - Lira District Chairperson
LIRA; The Lira District Local Council Chairperson, RCM Okello Orik, is under intense scrutiny following allegations of unauthorized allocation of 200 acres of public land to the Chinese firm Zhou & Mahakala Group.
The land, part of a 500-acre area designated for the Lira City Industrial Park, was previously handed over by the Lira District Council to the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) to promote regional industrial development. However, the land title remains under the Lira District Local Government, with no formal transfer to the UIA having taken place.
Despite the lack of legal transfer, Okello proceeded to allocate 200 acres to Zhou & Mahakala after consulting with State Minister for Privatization and Investment, Hon. Evelyn Anite. The Chinese company has already conducted a feasibility study and engaged local cassava farmers to establish a cassava-based chemical industrial park and a drone manufacturing facility. Okello defended his actions by citing a directive from Minister Anite, who in a letter dated 28th May 2025, instructed him to allocate the land, calling the investment a strategic milestone aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2020 for agricultural transformation and sustainable growth.
The decision has triggered backlash from local leaders and stakeholders in the Lango sub-region. Critics, including Otuke County MP Paul Omara, argue the move sidelined local investors and lacked transparency.
Omara, who was copied in Anite’s letter, questioned the legality of the allocation, citing the absence of a land title transfer and formal UIA control. He emphasized that the district chairperson had no mandate to make such decisions independently.
The Uganda National Chamber of Commerce (Lango Chapter) also raised concerns. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the chamber demanded an urgent meeting to clarify the status of the industrial park and investor activities. Morris Chris Ongom, Director of the Chamber for Northern and Eastern Uganda, criticized the lack of transparency and consultation with local business stakeholders.
He stressed the need for better integration of local enterprises into national industrialization plans.
The Chamber, which had partnered with the local government to finance the land title process, expressed alarm over the unclear whereabouts of the title.
As tensions rise, the controversy threatens the future of the Lira City Industrial Park and strains relations between local and national authorities and the people of Lango.
