Soroti City Residents Challenge Secret Boundary Marking by East African Civil Aviation Academy

Tensions are escalating in Soroti City following a controversial boundary demarcation exercise at the East African Civil Aviation Academy, commonly known as Soroti Flying School.

The expansion plans have sparked outcry from local residents and community leaders who allege that the process was conducted in secrecy and encroaches on their land. The resulting uproar has prompted authorities to suspend the boundary marking to facilitate negotiations among all parties involved.

The dispute, which began in August 2024, centers on a boundary demarcation initiative reportedly carried out without consulting the surrounding community or local leaders. This has left many residents in the Madera, Campswahili, Aminit, and Kichinjaji wards fearful of losing their land, homes, and livelihoods.

Simon Peter Olukol, a resident of Madera Central Ward, is among those affected by the expansion plans. According to Olukol, the academy initially informed the community that it would be opening existing boundaries, but instead began expanding onto private land.

He accuses the institution of hiring private surveyors who placed boundary markers on community land without prior consultation, allegedly under the cover of night.

“They told us they were just opening the boundaries,” Olukol lamented. “But instead, they are pushing their limits onto our land. Why come and extend the boundaries without involving local authorities and the community?”

His frustration is echoed by many other residents who feel blindsided by the institution’s actions, claiming that the lack of communication and transparency has raised concerns about the legality of the exercise.

This is not the first time the academy has been embroiled in a land-related conflict. Alfred Martin Aruo, the former mayor of Soroti Municipal Council, recalls a similar boundary dispute from 2013 when the institution fenced off land around the runway.

At that time, the council and the academy agreed to maintain the fenced area as property of the East African Civil Aviation Authority, which owns and manages the academy.

Aruo expressed surprise that the academy is repeating the boundary demarcation process without engaging the community, despite the previous understanding. He highlighted the importance of transparency, noting that the current demarcation could affect more than 35 families in Soroti City’s wards.

“There was no expansion then, only boundary opening, and we agreed on that,” Aruo explained. “But now I hear civil aviation is back and surveying land again without informing anyone. This is not just about boundaries; it’s about people’s lives and livelihoods.”

Aruo also mentioned that previous attempts to expand the runway faced technical challenges due to high-voltage power lines near the school. Discussions about moving these lines underground to facilitate expansion were shelved due to complexity and costs.

In response to the growing unrest, Soroti Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Peter Pex Paak convened a meeting between affected residents and officials from Soroti Flying School. During the meeting, both sides claimed ownership of the contested land, with the academy citing land titles annexed to the institution. Yusuf Omodo, a representative of the school’s management, sought to allay residents’ concerns by pledging to convey their feedback to top management.

However, Omodo faced a hostile reception, with attendees accusing the school of acting in bad faith by disregarding proper survey procedures.

“Why come and extend the boundaries based on a 1962 map without involving local authorities, the area land committee, or the community?” one irate resident asked. “If this is about extending the runway, we’re not against development, but we want transparency.”

Tensions reached a boiling point as more residents spoke out against what they perceived as an attempt to seize land under the guise of development. Many cited past experiences where land was taken without fair compensation, deepening suspicions about the school’s intentions.

Amid the growing controversy, RCC Paak decided to suspend the boundary marking exercise, explaining that the process would not proceed until a clear understanding had been reached between all stakeholders and proper procedures followed. He criticized the lack of transparency in the demarcation process, stressing that the academy’s approach to surveying the land did not adhere to standard procedures.

“At first, they said it was just boundary opening, but we later discovered it was a fresh survey,” Paak stated. “The community must be consulted before any further steps are taken.”

The RCC’s intervention temporarily defused tensions, but residents remain wary, awaiting further discussions scheduled for later in the week.

Established in 1971 under the Directorate of Civil Aviation of the then East African Community, the East African Civil Aviation Academy plays a critical role in training aviation professionals for the region. The academy offers a range of courses, including flight training, aircraft maintenance engineering, and flight operations. In 1985, it was integrated into Uganda’s Ministry of Works and Transport following the dissolution of the East African Community.

Despite its strategic importance, the academy has faced ongoing land disputes, with claims of encroachments and land sales threatening its expansion plans. In 2022, Uganda’s State Minister of Works, Musa Ecweru, raised concerns about individuals encroaching on the academy’s land, calling for the eviction of those who had illegally settled on the institution’s property.

The school has ambitious plans to expand its runway and infrastructure, but much of the land it requires has been developed by private individuals and other institutions, creating a complex legal and social situation that pits local community interests against the academy’s regional ambitions.