Persistent concerns from the communities across the Acholi sub-region regarding boundary issues of their customary land have garnered attention from the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development. Aiming to address these issues, the ministry has announced a series of week-long consultative meetings scheduled from February 26 to March 7, 2024. The meetings will serve as a platform to sensitize the local community on various land laws, the process of registering customary land, and other related matters.
Dorcus Okalany, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, highlighted key objectives for the upcoming engagements. These include educating the population about different land tenure systems, physical planning issues, legal and policy frameworks in the land sector, land acquisition processes, responsibilities of land management institutions, and alternative dispute resolutions. Technical teams from the ministry will provide critical oversight on these matters, aiming to offer comprehensive solutions to the plethora of land concerns that span across the northern regions and beyond.
The consultative meetings will cover districts such as Gulu, Amuru, Agago, Lamwo, Kitgum, Nwoya, Omoro, and Pader, specifically focusing on securing land under customary tenure in the Acholi sub-region. Notable participants expected to engage in these discussions include political leadership, technical officers from district land offices, law enforcement agencies, judicial officers, Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), and traditional leaders.
It’s worth noting that while these consultations unfold, the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Programme (USMID) is simultaneously completing infrastructure projects worth billions of shillings in northern Uganda. However, boundary issues on land remain contentious across the country, especially in areas where such infrastructure projects are being rolled out.
For more information on land disputes in Uganda and related infrastructure projects, interested readers can explore reputable sources such as government publications, academic research articles, and reports from non-governmental organizations specializing in land rights and development in Uganda.
Additional Information Sources:
- Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Uganda: Official Website
- Uganda Land Alliance: Website
- International Land Coalition – Uganda: Country Profile
- Uganda Bureau of Statistics: Website
- Academic Journals and Publications on Land Rights and Development in Uganda.
