A UGANDAN man has won back the land his father lost 23 years ago after becoming a qualified lawyer and fighting the case himself.
Jordan Kinyera was just six years old when his father’s land was lost in a legal dispute.
The high court in Uganda ruled in Kinyera’s favour on Monday, the BBC reported, meaning the land once again belongs to his family.
Kinyera told BBC Newsday: "I made the decision to become a lawyer later in life but much of it was inspired by events I grew up witnessing, the circumstances and frustrations my family went through during the trial and how it affected us."
The dispute between neighbours that led Kinyera’s father to lose the land went through the courts for more than 20 years, the BBC reported.
"My dad was retired, so he didn't have a lot of resources. He wasn't earning at that time. He was desperate and there is something dehumanising about being in a desperate situation and not being able to do something about it. That is what inspired me the most," Kinyera said.
The duration of the legal battle and the time required for Kinyera to qualify as a lawyer means his father is not in a position to fully benefit from the victory on a personal level.
"Justice delayed is justice denied. My father is 82 years and he can't do much with the land now. It's up to us children to pick up from where he left,” Kinyera said.
Land disputes have become a common occurrence in Uganda, according to the country’s human rights commission.
Ugandans who return to their land after being displaced during conflicts often become embroiled in land disputes.
"The issue is so widespread that an entire branch of the high court is just dedicated to land disputes,” Kinyera told the BBC.
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