BY XAVIER LINUS KULE
The Ugandan Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has today lunched the “Land Awareness Week,” a campaign that promotes and helps people to secure land rights for productive land use and economic transformation.
The 10th National Land Awareness Week targets the entire Rwenzori Sub-region that spans 09 districts and administrative units including Kasese, Kabarole, Bundibugyo, Ntoroko, Kyenjojo, Kyegegwa, Bunyangabu, Kamwenge and Fort-portal City.
The launch was at the district multipurpose hall in Nyamwamba Division, Kasese Municipality.
Mr. Ronald Bagaga, the Programs Manager at the East and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers’ Forum (ESAFF Uganda) and one of the implementing partners, cited the need for all the farmers to utilize the presence of the Land Awareness Week and acquire knowledge about the legalization of their pieces of land.
Bagaga stressed that for the farmers to benefit from their land investments, the Land Awareness Week helps them to access justice through legal aid, mediations and dialogue.
Mr. Denis Obbo, the official Spokesperson and Public Relations Officer from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, noted that the government of Uganda began the Land Awareness Week campaign in 2017 with an aim of speaking to people in their communities and address the challenges and concerns pertaining unregistered customary land.
Obbo further revealed that during the implementation of the Land Awareness Week, it should be crucial to involve traditional leaders in mediation processes before embarking on the mapping and demarcation of lands.
Reflecting on certain land conflicts in Kasese, Rt. Hon. Benson Kule Baritazale, the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu Prime Minister pledged the Kingdom’s support in terms of working with all responsible partners in implementing the Land Awareness Week, adding that their presence would hopefully bring about amicable ways of settling land problems.
In his remarks, Lt. Joe Walusimbi, the Kasese Resident District Commissioner, who was the Chief Guest, called for a collective responsibility of the legal officers, civil and government leaders, and other implementers of the Land Awareness Week in a bid to deliver sufficient services to the community.
ENDS