November 14–15, 2024 (Busoga and Bugisu Cluster- Uganda): As part of the review of Uganda’s National Land Policy (2013), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), through the Land Governance programme of its Agriculture and Environment Division, convened a two-day workshop for the Busoga and Bugisu Cluster, Uganda. The workshop aimed to gather stakeholder perspectives and recommendations for incorporation into the draft revised National Land Policy and to consolidate these inputs for adoption and approval by the National Land Policy (NLP) Review Working Group.
This event is the second event in a series of regional meetings, supported by IGAD, to be held across Uganda over a two-week period, ensuring participatory development of a revised national land policy. The gathering included technical experts from the Uganda Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, a team of consultants responsible for creating the Land Issues Paper and the zero draft of the revised policy, as well as representatives from civil society organizations, Religious leaders, Resident District Commissioners, Cultural leaders, district officials from the18 districts of Jinja, district land committees, technical experts on land and natural resources from the districts and other local leaders.
At the opening session of the meeting, Hon. Minister Persis Namuganza, State Minister for Lands highlighted that Land is a critical aspect of all our lives, not only economically but socially, culturally and spiritually and is essential for sustaining life through Agriculture and settlement but continues to face a myriad of challenges include underutilization and being a generator of conflict. A revised policy should take us closer to our goal of having all land demarcated and registered whether they belong to institutions, government, communities or individuals. The objective of the review is to come up with a policy that handles the evolving needs of all Ugandans, she added.
The meeting concluded successfully, with participants from the Busoga and Bugisu regions highlighting their regional concerns and priorities for inclusion in the revised land policy. They emphasized the need to provide for leases under customary and communal landholding frameworks to ensure such leases are recognized and effectively regulated. Participants also called on the government to undertake the mapping and economic valuation of natural resources and implement measures to strengthen collaborative natural resource management. The importance of surveying and titling all public and government land was proposed as a means to mitigate disputes and enhance governance. To address land fragmentation, participants proposed promoting urbanization as a deliberate solution, advocating for vertical expansion over horizontal sprawl to preserve valuable agricultural land. They further emphasized that the revised policy must align with existing frameworks, including the National Land Use Policy, the Physical Planning Act, and the National Physical Development Plan, to ensure comprehensive and effective land use management.
This workshop as well as the series of workshops across the country for the next two weeks is a testament of IGAD’s dedication through the support of Sweden and Uganda, to fostering a collaborative and inclusive process that guarantees the voices of all stakeholders are reflected in the revised Uganda National Land Policy.
