Katakwi:
Youth and men in the eastern district of Katakwi have been advised to peacefully stay with their families to avoid going to prison.
Lawyer Emmanuel Oceng sensitizing men on land laws.
Emmanuel Ocheng, a project legal officer Action Aid international said this while addressing the youth and men in the sub counties of Omodoi, Kapujan and Toroma in Katakwi district recently in an attempt of sensitizing men on the dangers of Gender based Violence and how to curb it with a program implemented by Ray of hope Katakwi with support from Action Aid.
Ocheng, while conducting male involvement activities in the three sub counties challenged men to learn how to stay sober on land use, distribution and its acquisition which is a major cause of Gender based violence in most of the families in Teso Sub- region.
“People are ignorant of the law which has led most of you men to prison for actively involving yourselves in land matters”, Ocheng said.
He therefore, warned cultural leaders to stop involving themselves into clicks during division of estates without following proper procedures.
Meanwhile, the Katakwi Resident District Commissioner Maj. Rtd. Godfrey Even Katamba presented that his office receives over three land related cases weekly which he says is a challenge to the district.
He called upon the development partners and other government agencies to get involved in sensitizing communities on land laws which he says will soften mitigate the land related cases in Katakwi district.
John Robert Malinga, a religious leader from Toroma Sub County revealed that most men are stressed which makes them do things which are against the law.
Youth of Katakwi paying attention to the Lawyer Emmanuel Oceng’s teaching on land.
Malinga noted that men are now very lousy since they have left all responsibilities to women.
“As areligious leader, we have tried our best to sell information to the Christians which leads to harmony in families but we are surprised to realize that, this is not responsive in the communities”, Malinga lamented.
He called up Ray of hope Katakwi, a nongovernmental organization to continuously create awareness to men since they are oblivion having rights to land use among others.
John Micheal Okopor, the sub county chief Kapujan however said, he is tired with cases of land disputes in his sub county most especially during rainy season because every family needs to utilize land for cultivation.
Simon peter Ojur, one of the clan leaders from Omodoi Sub County said that clan leaders now need to be trained on how to handle cases related to land.
Ojur narrated that clan leaders tend to divide family land and property without getting considering the law which he says is also another cause of gender-based violence on women and children.
Ocheng however, said he wants to see families in peace since he is among the few lawyers involved in such cases directly.
He asked men to conseder sharing meals with their families so that children and their parent’s share the challenges facing their families which he says is a backbone of peace and harmony in the world.