Stakeholders in the fight for land rights have been urged to sensitise communities to know their land and resource rights under the law so as to be able to foster proper investments on their land. 

The call was made by the GIZ rural development cluster coordinator, Luigina Blaich, during the third national multi-stakeholders dialogue on responsible investments in land, held at the Jinja Nile Resort Hotel in Jinja city. The three-day dialogue ended on July 1. 

Amina Namukose (right) leading stakeholders in touring Busoga Forest Company's tree nursery during a field visit in Mayuge district.

The dialogue was organised by the German development agency, GIZ, to support partner countries in setting the right framework for land governance, under the theme “The road to responsible investment in land in Uganda. Where are we?” 

The dialogues were attended by stakeholders who included resident district commissioners, civil servants and politicians.  

Amina Namukose (3rd right), the Nursery Supervisor of Busoga Forest Company explaining to stakeholders how trees are grown at the company plantation in Mayuge district.

Prior to the dialogue, stakeholders went to a field visit at Busoga Forestry Company in Mayuge where they visited a tree nursery bed. They also engaged with the farming community at Buwerere village and Walumbe fishing village.  

According to Blaich, access to land rights is a key factor when it comes to rural economic development and responsible land investment is crucial.

GIZ's Rural Development Cluster Coordinator Blaich Luigina (right) chatting with other stakeholders at the third national multi-stakeholders dialogue on Responsible Investment of land at the Jinja Nile Resort hotel in Jinja City.

She said that if land investment, access to land and land rights are promoted, rural economic development will flourish and grow, adding that this is what Uganda needs.  

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Peace Nabakembo, said in 2015, the ministry began its collaboration with GIZ on the Responsible Land Policy in Uganda (RELAPU) programme to promote formalised land use and land ownership rights of smallholder farmers.  

Peter Mulamira (right), the director of business development at Uganda Investment Authority in a panel discussion with other Stakeholders at the third national multi-stakeholders dialogue on Responsible Investment of land at the Jinja Nile Resort hotel in Jinja City.

Nabakembo said that in 2019, RELAPU received additional funding from the European Union and the German government for the Responsible Governance of Investments in Land (RGIL) project which is implemented through the district local governments, domestic investors, and locally affected land users in the Buganda, Teso and Lango regions. 

She thanked the European Union and the German government for their continued support to the land sector and for funding the project, and GiZ, with who they are implementing the project and for spearheading the necessary reforms in the land sector, particularly the review of the National Land Policy. 

Nadia Cannata, the team leader for sustainable development at the European Union Delegation, said they have been supporting the RGIL project and at the same time supporting land-related programs in customary and Mailo land, adding that they always put land owners to know their rights through training.  

Peter Mulamira, the director for business development at the Uganda Investment Authority, said they are working with the local government ministry to initiate local economic development investment committees to make sure that more investors are on the ground and this will increase jobs and incomes in a sustainable manner. 

Regina Achieng, a goat farmer in Katakwi district, said farmers have to be assisted to register their land and that they also need legal help to do so.

The Dokolo resident district commissioner, Barbara Akech, urged farmers to embrace government development programmes like the Parish Development Model and Emyooga so as to invest in various enterprises on their land.