By John Kusolo
On the 23rd of August, 2024, Hon. Dr. Sam Mayanja, the Minister of State for Lands, launched the Busoga Land Awareness Week at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala. This initiative is spearheaded by the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development in collaboration with over 30 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) such as PELUM Uganda, COCAPSO, and UCOBAC. The event is set to take place from the 26th to the 30th of August 2024, targeting several districts within the Busoga region including Jinja, Luuka, and Iganga.
The primary focus of this awareness week is to tackle critical land issues that have been plaguing the region, such as land rights, inclusiveness, sustainable development, and environmental conservation. The event aims to empower local communities, including women, the youth, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and communal land users, who face increasing challenges in securing their land rights and sustaining their livelihoods.
The Land Awareness Week will feature a series of activities designed to build the capacity of farming communities, Pastoralists, CSOs, local governments, customary land management bodies, and other land actors. These activities will engage stakeholders in discussions on land registration, succession planning, dispute resolution, and the governance of land. Additionally, the week will highlight the importance of environmental conservation through initiatives like the planting of 5,000 trees across various districts in Busoga.
Brians Agaba, representing the Coalition of Pastoralist Civil Society Organizations (COPACSO), emphasized that this event is a platform to amplify the voices of marginalized groups within the region. According to Agaba, the week is not only about raising awareness but also about promoting justice and local governance standards that protect the rights of vulnerable groups.
He stressed that the goal is to empower these communities to engage more actively in land governance, thereby ensuring that their land rights are recognized and protected. Agaba believes that through this initiative, the region can move towards a more equitable and sustainable future.
According to Minister Dr. Sam Mayanja, the Busoga Land Awareness Week is expected to reach at least 500 participants per district, with workshops and radio talk shows planned to disseminate information and gather feedback from the community. The Ministry of Lands has also committed to making land information more accessible to the public. District land boards, local council courts, and other land-related entities will provide services free of charge to those in need during the awareness week.
This event is poised to set a new standard for land governance in the Busoga region, addressing both immediate land challenges and laying the groundwork for long-term sustainable development. It represents a significant step towards ensuring that the voices of all land users, particularly those of women, youth, and marginalized groups, are heard and acted upon in the governance of land in Uganda.
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