The Yambio Town Municipality has warned residents of Naakiri against selling land before the completion of formal registration and leasing, as authorities begin a long-awaited demarcation exercise aimed at opening roads and creating space for essential public facilities.
The warning was issued by Yambio Town Mayor Her Lordship Foiza Abass Barnabab Bangasu during the official launch of the land-demarcation exercise in Naakiri, where municipal officials, land engineers, community leaders and residents gathered to mark the start of the process.
The Mayor said the municipality would not tolerate unauthorized land transactions while demarcation and registration are underway, warning that anyone found selling land prematurely would face arrest.
She urged residents to wait for the official land-registration and leasing process before conducting transactions.
“I call on residents not to start selling the land before registration commences with land lease. Anybody found doing this will be arrested,” the Mayor warned.
The municipality says the demarcation exercise is intended not only to establish and clarify land boundaries but also to support orderly settlement and future development in Naakiri.
Mayor Bangasu called on residents to cooperate with demarcation teams by opening access routes crossing between different areas and respecting the boundaries established through the exercise.
She also urged residents to reserve adequate spaces for public facilities, including schools, health centres, markets and a football pitch, saying such planning is essential for the area’s future growth.
The Mayor emphasized that residents should consider the long-term needs of the community rather than treating every available piece of land as an opportunity for immediate sale.
The demarcation process is expected to help authorities identify spaces for roads and other public infrastructure while bringing greater organization to settlement patterns.
The Mayor acknowledged that the demarcation exercise could affect some existing structures, including houses, as authorities seek to reorganize the area according to planned boundaries and access routes.
She urged residents to remain flexible and cooperate with the technical teams, arguing that some difficult decisions would be necessary to create room for development.
According to the Mayor, the rearrangement of some structures should be viewed in the context of the area’s longer-term development rather than as an isolated loss.
The exercise is therefore likely to generate both challenges and opportunities as residents adjust to newly established boundaries and planned public spaces.
The Deputy Chairperson of the Naakiri Demarcation Committee, Louis Mborinafuko, welcomed the launch and expressed appreciation for the presence of the Mayor and the municipal and technical teams.
Mborinafuko said the committee would work closely with the demarcation teams and encouraged residents to cooperate with the process.
The demarcation exercise reportedly began in 2023 but was later halted midway, leaving the area without a completed land-planning process.
Its resumption has raised hopes among local leaders that longstanding land and development challenges can finally be addressed.
A representative of the headmen, Hebert John Aman, said the Mayor’s presence had restored hope among residents who had waited for the exercise to resume.
He said the absence of demarcation had contributed to delays in development activities in the area.
Yambio Town’s Second Deputy Mayor for infrastructure and land Moses Azu, urged residents to maintain peace and unity throughout the exercise.
Azu acknowledged that land demarcation could produce disagreements, particularly where established structures or individual interests are affected.
He cautioned residents to prepare for difficult decisions while encouraging them to prioritize the broader interests of the community.
The municipality’s emphasis on cooperation comes as Naakiri seeks to transition toward a more organized settlement structure, with clearly defined access routes and land reserved for public infrastructure.
The Mayor’s warning against premature land sales highlights one of the major challenges that can accompany land demarcation and urban expansion: transactions taking place before boundaries, ownership and land-use plans are formally established.
Authorities appear keen to prevent residents from selling plots that may later be identified for roads, public facilities or other community purposes.
By requiring residents to wait for formal registration and leasing, the municipality is seeking to bring land transactions under an organized system while reducing potential disputes over ownership and boundaries.
The success of the exercise, however, will depend heavily on cooperation between municipal authorities, technical teams, traditional leaders and residents.
For Naakiri residents, the demarcation represents more than the marking of boundaries. It is being presented by municipal authorities as a foundation for roads, public services, organized settlement and future development—provided the community works with authorities and respects the emerging land-use framework.
