Nebbi locals tipped on land rights 

Locals in Erusi Sub County, Nebbi District in West Nile region, have been tipped on their rights and constitutional mandate in as far as ownership of land is concerned.

West Nile region has for a long while faced land governance challenges and opportunities.

Although the region is known for its fertile land and agricultural potential, the locals face issues related to land tenure insecurity, land grabbing, gender disparities in land ownership, limited information and access to justice as well as land management practices.

Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers' Forum (ESAFF) Uganda conducted a two-day land rights camp in the region last week to raise awareness about the significance of responsible land governance and women's land rights in promoting inclusive and sustainable development. Other objectives included facilitating discussions on best practices for sustainable land management and the integration of responsible agriculture investment protocols.

Mr Hakim Baliraine, the national board chairperson for ESAFF Uganda, said: “This is to make sure that we promote food security and responsible land governance, creating awareness, and also building the capacity of farmers on issues related to land rights and to see the different approaches used like the community engagement tool.”

The land rights camp also sought to promote dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders, including local governments, farmers' organisations and community leaders, to address the various land-related challenges and promote equitable access to land resources as well as enhancing access to legal assistance.

Mr Ronald Bagaga, the research and policy analyst at ESAFF, who also leads the Land Rights Camp team, said locals are ignorant about their rights which explains the essence of having lawyers on board to avail the right information to them.

“We thought it’s important to support people to access legal aid facilitated by FIDA, and partners, who engage the local communities to avail to them information that they do not have concerning their land rights,” Mr Bagaga said.

Since 2011, ESAFF Uganda together with Oxfam in Uganda have supported several small-scale farmers especially women to secure their land rights. Despite these interventions, land rights challenges still prevail in the region. 

The Nebbi Resident District Commissioner, Mr Robert Abak, said some of the land issues in the region emanate from family wrangles, which they try to mediate on a daily basis.

“Most of these challenges are from the family level. When a husband dies, the woman (widow) is accused of witchcraft and chased out of the land by the in-laws. We do mediations and solve a lot of those cases,” Mr Abak said.

Besides West Nile, ESAFF in partnership with other interest groups like OXFAM, and others continue to organise land rights caps to different regions across the country to educate masses especially in local communities about their constitutional rights to have secure land.