Govt probes gaps in land ownership

The government, through the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), has commissioned a study on land ownership disparities in 20 districts across the country.

The probe, which kicked off on Monday, aims at assessing the access to land as a factor of production among the vulnerable groups, especially the women and youth in the selected districts.

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According to officials from the EOC, other vulnerable groups that do not have access to land include persons with disability, ethnic minorities and older persons.

In an interview with Monitor yesterday, the head of research at EOC, Mr Bashiru Lukungu, said the key findings from the above probe are slated to inform the changes in the land policies to benefit all the citizens in the country.

“In line with Section 14, Sub-section (1) of the Equal Opportunities Commission Act, 2007, it’s the mandate of the EOC to undertake research studies in all sectors of Uganda’s economy to ensure compliance to equal opportunities and affirmative action,” Mr Lukungu said.

Why land
The previous Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) household surveys indicates that about 50 percent of Ugandan household wealth is held in the form of land and provides the majority of employment opportunities in the country. 

However, Mr Yusuf Muziranza, EOC spokesperson, said the majority of landowners do not have land titles to guarantee their security of tenure. 

“Land is a critical resource for both women and men in Uganda. It has multiple values and functions, and this makes it even more critical for people’s livelihoods. Across Uganda, many vulnerable groups, especially women, tell a similar tale: they till the land, produce the food, yet lack secure rights to land, including being denied equal rights to inheritance,” Mr Muziranza said.

It is against the above background that the Commission, whose mandate is to eliminate discrimination and inequalities against any individual or group of persons, is undertaking a probe to rectify the above challenges.

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According to the EOC, the problem of land disparity in the country mainly arises from the nature of the land tenure system, cultural norms, among others, in the country over the decades. 

The Commission says this has resulted in inequalities in land utilisation, control and ownership and has particularly had an impact on the vulnerable.

“With secure rights to land, the vulnerable groups can improve food security, education, health, and economic development for themselves, their families, and the community,” Mr Lukungu said.

The probe, which is slated to last for 11 working days, will cover, among others, the districts of Mubende, Nakaseke, Mukono, Masaka, Mayuge, Tororo, Kween Katakwi, Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kibaale, Hoima, Amuru, Agago, Pader and Nwoya.

The country is faced with a lot of land wrangles characterised by rampant evictions.

In Luweero, Nakaseke, Kayunga, Nakasongola, and Kiboga districts, cases where families have been evicted from land that they have occupied for more than 60 years, against legal framework and laws that could have guaranteed ownership of land by the affected families, are among the hundreds of families battling the land grabbers.

The situation is not any different in central Buganda, including Kampala Metropolitan area.
A section of leaders and residents from the different areas across Buganda region have on several occasions accused a section of leaders in government of siding with individuals perpetuating acts of land evictions.

In his speech after he secured his sixth elective term of office, on January 14, President Museveni, among others, promised zero tolerance to land evictions and undertook to solve the land question and the triggers that result in conflict, evictions and also affect production.

Land tenures
Currently, Uganda has four modes of land ownership or tenure, including, mailo, freehold, leasehold and customary.