Population boom fueling Butaleja land conflicts

Local leaders in Butaleja District in Bukedi Sub-region have blamed the high population growth on land conflicts.

The deputy Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Mr Hebert Hamigo, said despite the boom in population growth from 260,000 in 2014 to 350,000 currently, the available land for settlement and farming has remained the same.

The district has a total of 644sq Kms of land out of which 40 percent is covered by wetlands.

“The population growth has increased land conflicts in the district and also caused land fragmentation,” Mr Hamigo said.

He made the remarks during an engagement organised by the Uganda Community-based Association for Women and Children Welfare (UCOBAC) and other development partners to empower the youth in Butaleja District through strengthening the knowledge of land rights at the weekend.

Land disputes are being registered in all the three sub-counties of Kachonga, Mazimasa and Naweyo.

Mr Hamigo further revealed that 80 percent of land in the district is under customary ownership yet the holders lack proper documentation.

“We call upon the Ministry of Lands under the customary land registration to issue local people with land ownership certificates to scale down the conflicts,” he said, adding that the biggest percentage of the population in the district are youth, who are landless.

The Butaleja District Police Commander, Mr Hudson Birema, said most of the youth in the district don’t want to work.

“Most of the youth do wish their parents to die and take control of their land. Others have decided to kill their parents over land and this is common, especially with polygamous families,” Mr Birema said.

The female youth counsellor for Mazimasa Sub-county, Ms Sarah Namusabi, said: “Some parents have been killed because their sons want to sell land to buy motorcycles. Girls and women are also denied a chance of inheriting land.”

 The chairperson of the district land board, Mr Samuel Weere Binga, advised local leaders to embark on a sensitisation drive on land rights.

“The conflicts being witnessed are sometimes fuelled by politicians,” he said.

The district lands officer, Mr Twaha Kirya, urged the youth to embrace the existing legal infrastructure and opportunities to participate in land decision-making processes.

The community engagement was organised under the theme: “Enhancing youth participation in Land governance for sustainable development”.

The UCOBAC programmes officer, Ms Jodana Wamboga, said they are increasing awareness on land governance.

“The exercise will increase access to land resources for the youth, particularly the marginalised groups,” she said.

 The programme is being supported by various development partners, including UN-HABITAT, Global Land Tool Network (GLTN), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with funding from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Ms Wamboga said there is a need to scale up community-based land registration and land use planning based on customary ownership.

“Land as a productive asset plays a crucial role in the country’s economy and social fabric,’’ he said.

Mr Mark Katusiime, the project officer for Uganda Community Based Association for Women and Children’s Rights, said despite the recognition of youth as a key population category with special needs, leaders should be careful while entrusting them with land ownership.

“This is because most of them lack wisdom to manage it,” he said.

Land’s minister Judith Nabakooba handed over customary certificates in bid to curb land disputes.