ActionAid Uganda Advances Land Rights at the 9th Land Awareness Week
ActionAid International Uganda joined various land actors, comprising the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, and several CSOs, for the 9th Land Awareness Week. The one-week event took place in Bugisu and Sebei sub-regions under the theme “Promoting Land Rights and Sustainable Land Use for Inclusive and Sustainable Development.”
AAIU concentrated efforts in Kween and Kapchorwa, where staff reached 400 residents with information on land rights. Key achievements included facilitating legal aid clinics, clarifying processes for obtaining land titles, raising awareness of women’s land rights, and directly addressing residents’ queries through a team of lawyers.
During Land Awareness Week, community members' knowledge of land rights increased. Positive outcomes included identifying and documenting boundary issues and addressing conflicts with the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which laid the groundwork for further action.
“We managed to put the issues identified in a memo, which was forwarded in a petition to the state minister for lands,” said Esther Kisembo, the FGG Project Coordinator at ActionAid International Uganda.
The Land Awareness Week was also a critical opportunity that amplified the voices of women. In the Sebei region, women are often viewed as property and are not permitted to own land. Through the legal aid clinics, the team of lawyers referred specific cases to the relevant authorities as they arose.
Some of the critical issues raised were displacement of people from their ancestral land, women being disproportionately affected, with the community saying they don’t have the right to own land, and poor social services, like a lack of toilets.
Mr. Hassan Byantalo, a lands officer from the Ministry of Lands who joined the AAIU team, promised to submit a comprehensive report to the government for attention.
The Land Awareness Week concluded with a unified convening of land actors in Mbale City on 29 August, marking a strong commitment to advancing land rights and sustainable land use. During this event, issues that had arisen from the Land Awareness Week were presented to the State Minister of Lands, Hon. Sam Mayanja.
One of the key highlights of the Land Awareness Week was the issuance of land titles to residents. This milestone not only secured ownership but also brought hope for further action to address the land-related challenges that communities had raised during the week.
ActionAid International has been a critical player in the Annual Land Awareness Week since its inception nine years ago, and continues to champion land rights, amplify community voices, and convene key stakeholders to push for inclusive and sustainable land governance.
