The issue of land wrangles took centre stage on Monday as representatives from all the 15 regions of the country met to search for solutions.
The other issues highlighted included poor road networks, lack of medical supplies in hospitals, cattle rustling and theft of mineral resources as well as poor government policies.

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This was during a conference organised by the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) at Hotel Africana.
Top of the regions that have suffered land grabbing include Sebei, Buganda and Teso.

Mr Joseph Kabuleta, the leader of NEED political pressure group, said during his fact-finding mission ahead of the conference, he discovered that the problem of land grabbing cuts across the regions as well as poverty and poor education.

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“The biggest problem that was named was land grabbing and stealing of other resources in regions. The people of Sebei were chased from their land worth 65,000 acres and have been forced into hills, and it is the same problem in Buganda and other regions,” Mr Kabuleta said.
Ms Judith Nabakooba, the minister of Lands, said the Uganda Land Commission, which is mandated with compensation, is operating on limited funds.

“They have in the past evaluated and compensated many people across the country though they are operating on a very little budget,” Ms Nabakooba said.
Mr Getrude Chebet, a representative from Sebei, said: “We have a problem of stealing our cows up to today; cows are being taken and hidden in the bush and there is no one coming to our rescue. We have been chased away from our own land now we are refugees in our own country.”

WHAT REGIONS SAY
Ms Nassa Biira Kiwanuka from Bunyoro said: “There is also a question of universities in our area. The people of Bunyoro have never heard of anything called a university. With all the oil that we have in the area, a university to train our people about oil is important.”

Mr Patrick Jaramogi from Lango said: “We have only three percent of the national tarmac roads, we are struggling with land problems but the roads issue is also very problematic.”

Mr Robert Mugabe of Acholi said: “There is a problem of electricity in my sub-region. We have had this problem over the years and no one is helping us come out of it.”

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