BLB | FIDA | MOU | WOMEN | RIGHTS

Buganda Land Board (BLB) and the Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA Uganda) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to help vulnerable groups on issues of land rights.

The partnership will see both entities traversing different parts of the country creating clinics to sensitize the public and providing free legal aid services to the victims, especially women and children with their families.

Speaking at the launch in Kasana -Luwero on Wednesday, Elizabeth Kemigisha the Advocacy Manager at FIDA Uganda said that the initiative is aimed at helping women and other vulnerable groups on contested plots (Bibanja) to acquire justice.

“We are working with BLB to acquire certificates of occupancy and speed up the process. We have started with Luwero to see hope it works because out of 320 family cases we receive, 150 cases have land issues,” she said.

Kemigisha said that 70% of victims involved in these cases are women and children and the collaboration would help them acquire powers on the properties.

“In regards to the work that BLB does, we have also supported several women acquire their certificates of occupancy. A move that further protects their interests and rights in this land. Recognizing the pivotal role that the BLB plays in ensuring that the vulnerable have access to ownership of land coupled with FIDA Uganda’s work to undertake a series of actions aimed at extending services to communities,” she added.

Kizito Bashir Juma the Head of Operations and Corporate Affairs at BLB said that the partnership is to allow all the people to register their tenancy and have security on their properties and also teach them that ownership can go beyond one individual.

“We have had different land awareness weeks with different organizations including the Ministry of Land and many other partners. We are open to anyone with land issues,” he said

The Legal Aid Open Day was held in Luweero and a series of mobile legal aid clinics will follow in Bamunanika, Makulubita, and Butuntumula.

Judith Nabakooba the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development in her message said that the government is working to create registries at the sub-county level and also establish district mediation committees to assist tenants to ascertain their Bibanja status.