UGANDA, Jinja | Real Muloodi News | Concerns mount as Judge David Batema of Iganga High Court raises alarm over the surge in land disputes were evictions in Iganga and Namutumba districts are impacting numerous families in the Busoga region.
The persistent practice of forced evictions poses a significant threat to families, with the system of land ownership, village land committee chairpersons, and greed identified as major contributors to the escalating Busoga land disputes.
Busoga follows a customary land ownership system, where specific pieces of land are traditionally associated with households, communities, or clans.
The absence of clear ownership documentation results in overlapping claims and disputes over the same land, intensifying conflicts.
Thomas Matende, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Namutumba, reveals that over 70 per cent of reported cases in the region are related to land disputes.
The records underscore the pressing need for interventions to address the root causes of the escalating conflict.
Lubulwa Mwesigwa, a lawyer from the Redeem International organisation, attributes the land wrangles to male-dominated decisions, disproportionately affecting women who are often left to care for their children.
Mwesigwa points to in-laws struggling to divide the land left by deceased husbands as a significant source of conflict.
Responding to the crisis, Redeem International organised a stakeholder meeting involving judges, lawyers, and security authorities to strategise solutions for the mounting land cases in the region.
During the meeting, Justice David Batema urged human rights defenders to actively educate the public on their legal rights, particularly emphasising the right to own property.
Despite efforts to address land disputes, Uganda still grapples with a low percentage of registered land, standing at 22 per cent.
The Land Information System, established in the last 13 years, has contributed to this figure. However, the Ministry aims to increase the registered land percentage to at least 26 per cent by 2030, highlighting the ongoing challenges in securing land rights across the country.
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