Justice ministry to take succession act sensitization campaign across Lango

11 September 2026, 9:45 am

By Baker Okello

The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Lango Regional Office is set to roll out community dialogue sessions, commonly known as Barraza, across districts in the sub-region to educate the public about the Succession Amendment Act.

The development was revealed by Muyomba Simon Peter, the Head of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (MoJCA) Lango Regional Office, during the official launch of a public sensitization campaign on the Succession Act held at Lira Mayor’s Garden on Thursday August 10th.

Muyomba said the campaign will focus on encouraging citizens to make legally valid wills and educating families about statutory requirements governing the management of estates.

He said the sensitization will also emphasize the requirement for estate administrators to prepare and file inventories of the deceased’s property, a measure intended to prevent the illegal concealment or misappropriation of family assets.

Muyomba urged members of the public to seek legal guidance directly from MoJCA regional offices rather than relying on unauthorized intermediaries who may mislead them.

Meanwhile, Akurut Martha, a Senior State Attorney with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, explained that beneficiaries of an estate depend on whether the deceased left a valid will, known as testate succession, or died without a will, known as intestate succession.

Akurut said where a person dies without a valid will, the law provides for specific categories of beneficiaries, including children of the deceased regardless of whether they were born within or outside marriage, surviving spouses, dependent relatives, and the recognized customary heir or heiress.

Speaking at the same event, Ambrose Ochol, also a Senior State Attorney with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs explained the procedures involved in opening a succession or deceased estate file.

Ochol warned that the family must agree on and formally nominate the individuals (usually a surviving spouse or eldest children) who will open the file with mandatory supporting documents such as: death certificate, signed family minutes, National Identity Cards of the deceased and land titles.

In his closing remarks, Steven Odongo, the Deputy Resident City Commissioner for Lira City East Division, commended the initiative, describing the expansion of the sensitization campaign as an important step towards bringing government legal services closer to the people.

Odongo said the initiative goes beyond the establishment of a regional office, describing it as the beginning of a more accessible government service designed to respond to the needs of the communities it serves.

He emphasized that the initative has arrived on time with its succession campaign noting that the public sensitization efforts directly address severe challenges families face when a relative passes away without leaving a will.

The Ministry says the communities Baraza will provide residents with an opportunity to obtain accurate information on succession law, understand their rights and responsibilities, and reduce disputes arising from the mismanagement of deceased estates.