Thank you for giving me hope - Justice Centres Uganda

Thank you for giving me hope

This story involved a widow whose in-laws and clan leaders attempted to divide property already given to her & her daughters. Lusiya, a 65-year-old widow, lost her husband Jacob in 2019. Following Jacob’s death, clan leaders convened a family meeting purportedly to distribute his estate.

These included the matrimonial home and land that he had given to his two daughters as gifts intervivos. Pascal (Jacob’s son) was named heir by the clan leaders and also told to take over the widow’s home. Pascal and the clan leaders further gave Lusiya an ultimatum to either let her step son take over her home or she leaves. They also confiscated a book containing purchase agreements of land belonging to the widow and her husband and will.

With the help of friend, Lusiya and her daughters sought legal assistance at JCU Bundibugyo. JCU summoned the respondents (Jacob and clan leaders) for mediation. Surprisingly when the respondents were served with mediation letters, they returned the book containing agreements and the will which they had confiscated earlier.

They also stopped making the demands they were making before of trying to chase Lusiya and the daughters. A JCU advocate thereafter helped Lusiya draft a will in which she bequeathed her personal property to her daughters and also made pronouncements about her home.

She now lives peacefully in her land without interference from neither Jacob nor the clan leaders. Additionally, the daughters are also utilizing and living on their pieces of land peacefully. Since the agreements had been returned, each of the daughters was given the agreement made for their respective piece of land.

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