Mr Robert Kenned Nockrach aged 54 is a dedicated community leader from Arusha Village in Moroto Parish, Palabek Gem Sub county, Lamwo District. A husband and father to five children, Nockrach life has been one of service, resilience and transformation.
Raised in a family of six, Kennedy began his professional journey as a teacher with the Irene Gleeson Foundation eventually rising to the position of head teacher. But his story took a new turn in December 2022 when he was nominated unanimously during a sub county council meeting to serve as Chairman of the Area Land Committee (ALC) in Palabek Gem.
At the time, the ALC mandate was largely unknown and underutilized. Meetings were often held under trees and the committee had little visibility or support from the public. Despite holding two master’s degrees, one in Education from Uganda Christian University and another in Divinity from Living Hope UK, Nockrach had limited knowledge of land governance and received no formal orientation or training upon being commissioned by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).
“I had never even heard of CCO registration before,” Kennedy admitted. “But through the trainings organized by UCOBAC with support from ZOA, I’ve gained the knowledge and confidence to guide both my team and the community.”
Thanks to the Lamwo Initiatives for Thriving Communities (LIFT) Project, UCOBAC implements with support from ZOA, Nockrach’s capacity to lead improved significantly. The project not only strengthened his technical understanding but also elevated the visibility and credibility of the Area Land Committee at the refugee settlement. Encouraged by this progress, local stakeholders have begun allocating land for a permanent ALC office and there is hope of equipping it with essential tools like desktop computers, GPS machines and filing cabinets.
Nockrach meanwhile says that many of the community members were skeptical of the Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs) fearing they were tools for land grabbing. He however says with UCOBAC’s persistent awareness raising meetings in the community, such fears have since been dispelled.
A transformative moment for Nockrach came during a learning visit to the West Nile region organized by UCOBAC and Thrive Gulu with support from ZOA. There, he observed successful models of Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP) and CCO registration in action.
“It opened my mind and gave me the motivation to work even harder.Now, I want to see everyone in my community enjoy the security that comes with properly registered land,” said Nockrach.
Following a series of awareness campaigns, community response has been overwhelmingly positive. Many residents are now actively collecting land registration forms. To make the process more accessible, the ALC introduced a phased payment model where applicants pay Shs 5,000 upon receiving the form and another Shs 5,000 upon submission.
Looking ahead, Kennedy envisions a future where all community members have secure, legally recognized land ownership. Passionate about empowering others, he remains committed to supporting residents in understanding, protecting, and formalizing their land rights. Mr. Nockrac is among the 165 Local Government authorities entrusted with supporting the registration and issuance of Customary Certificates of Ownership in Lamwo District. His work contributes to Uganda’s broader vision for secure land tenure, social cohesion and sustainable development aligning with Vision 2040 and the inclusive Refugee Response Framework.
