A man becomes a lawyer to win family land | Social

A Ugandan, who was only six years old when his father lost his land as a result of litigation, finally reconquered him 23 years later, after becoming a lawyer. Jordan Kinyera went through 18 years of education and legal training before taking up the case. On Monday, the High Court issued a final judgment in favor of his family.

Mr. Kinyera told BBC Newsday that the loss of family land at the age of six had changed his life.

"I decided to become a lawyer later in my life, but this was inspired by events that I witnessed, the circumstances and frustrations experienced by my family during the trial and the consequences that it had for us, "said Mr. Kinyera.

His father had been sued by neighbors following a land dispute in 1996 and the case had been dragged through the courts for more than two decades.

"My father was retired, so he did not have a lot of resources, he was not winning at that time, he was desperate and there is something dehumanizing about being in a desperate situation and not being able to do anything about it, that's what inspired me the most. "

Mr. Kinyera told the BBC that he was happy for his father who, according to him, has not planted a single seed or laid a single brick for 23 years.

"Delayed justice, justice denied, my father is 82 years old and he can not do much with the land anymore, it's up to us, the children, to pick us up where he left."

Land conflicts are widespread in Uganda. According to the legal group Namati, they concern 33 to 50% of landowners.

Many Ugandans internally displaced returning to their original areas after spending several years in camps find themselves in land disputes, Kinyera told the BBC. He represents a number of clients in such cases. "The problem is so prevalent that an entire branch of the High Court is simply dedicated to land disputes."