1.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
FAO
Rome, Italy
26 – 29 June, 2018
Pamella Drate - Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ-Uganda)

2.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
“Improvement of Land Governance in Uganda
to increase Productivity of Small-Scale
Farmers on Private Mailo Land” (ILGU)
FIT-FOR-PURPOSE USER RIGHTS DOCUMENTATION

3.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Background
• Uganda is a landlocked country
• Located in East Africa
• Agriculture-based country
• Member of the East African Community.
• Uganda’s total land area is 241,559 sq.
km out of which 16% is occupied by
open water (GOU, 2018).
• Uganda’s population is 34.6 million
persons (UBOS, 2016). Current estimate
41million

4.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Background – Land tenure in Uganda
The Uganda Constitution
provides for 4 Land tenure
systems
• Freehold Tenure
• Leasehold Tenure
• Customary Tenure (mainly
in the North of Uganda)
• Mailo Tenure (Central
Uganda)

5.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Background – Private Mailo Impasse
The 27th Kabaka established a customary system of land
ownership.
• In 1900 all these interests and customs were turned
into mailo land - measured in square miles.
• Created dual rights on the same piece of land
(Mailo owners with titles and Tenants no titles)
Holder of Mailo title has;
• Perpetuity;
• Absolute ownership
• Transferable,
• Mortgage /pledge & Title is state guaranteed
A tenant in her field.

6.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Background – Private Mailo Impasse
Tenants
• Tenancies not registered
• Minority of the tenants either have a signed
agreement (not with landlord) or tickets of
ground rent.
• Inheritance - new Mailo owners -land markets -
new land owners
• New land owners view tenants as squatters
• Non-payment of ground rent versus refusal to
accept ground rent

7.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Background – ILGU Project Approach

8.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Progress – Awareness Raising
 Community sensitization commenced in
November 2017
 Development of EIC materials-illustrate-
translated into Luganda
 Development of a sensitisation manual-
translated to Luganda.
 Development of a guide to peaceful co-
existence on private Mailo-translated into local
language-partner LANDNet and MLHUD.
 Mailo land platform meetings with key
stakeholders at national level.
 Additional 4 sub-counties are prepared with
inception meetings.

9.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Progress – Pilot mapping
• Makerere University - pilot bibanja
rights holders documentation and
mapping exercise.
• The pilot mapping process started
January 2018, initially - slow
(sporadic) pace - more farmers
now calling back the field teams.
• Display of village maps for
validation by community members.
• Total tenancy parcels mapped as of
14/06/18- is 4,387 in two sub
counties.
LC1
ALC
Student
Volunteer

10.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Progress – Conflict resolution
• Contracted (UCOBAC); the same as awareness
raising.
• Using paralegals and ALC to conduct on-site
mediation.
• Unresolved disputes to be referred to a mediation
committee - further referral to court at the
expense of the disputing parties.
• Nevertheless, parties are encouraged to pursue
harmonious co-existence.
Sub county mediation committee

11.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Progress – Conflict resolution
Type of land conflict Number
Community misunderstood the project 09
Deprivation of rights (family) 02
Fraudulent claim to land / land grabbing 08
Land boundary dispute 13
Land inheritance dispute 09
Land lord – tenant conflict (Busuulu, buy
out, squatters)
13 CASE STATUS Number
Resolved on site 12
Resolved after ADRM (by
community paralegals)
04
Referred to sub county
mediation committee
27

12.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Capacity Development Activities
 Training of Trainers (ToT) for land managers -20 participants
 ToT Conflict Resolution-RELAPU partners, ALC, DLB chairpersons,
UCOBAC, CDOs – 15 participants.
 District level trainings-Pilot Land Inventory teams. (16
participants)
 Training land administration structures (ALC and DLB members)-
(10 participants per district).
 Training in GIS for management of tenancy rights -
Cartographers, DLO staff trained at Makerere university- (10
participants).
Training inventory teams

13.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Challenges
 Identification of partners with experience on
Mailo has been a challenge.
 Legal reforms in the country
 Community resistance in some areas.
 Political interference.- anticipated hiden
agenda of project.
 Long lasting in-family disputes.
 Integrating the tenancy data into NLIS
(Inventory Vs adjudication)
 Varying mapping technologies (plain table Vs
GNSS) make map overlays challenging

14.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Challenges
 Observation of physical planning regulations Vs multiple rights- application
on tenancy rights or registered mailo right?
 Increasing implementation costs as villages recall back the mapping teams
 Sporadic mapping –increases inplementation costs
 Delayed village map display and LIP distribution
 High expectations from partners

15.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Lessons Learned
 Involvement of charismatic champions at all
levels.
 According land owners the respect due to
them.
 Avoid long time frames between subsequent
project activities as this creates speculation.
 Continous enagement with partners ie
MLHUD, district officials
 Empasis on harmonious living than the legal
framework
A charismatic political leader during village map
display.

16.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Recommendations
 Involvement of technical and political
leadership at all levels for purposes of
ownership.

17.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
Next Steps
 Land Inventory Protocals- distribution for 4,387 mapped
parcels
 Up-scale project - 8 sub counties
 MULP at district level
 Legal Aid Clinics
 Pilot the CoO process at low scale- Myanzi sub county.

18.
7th Capitalization Meeting
EU Land Governance Programme
FAO
Rome, Italy
26 – 29 June, 2018
Thank you!