Post Conflict Land Policy and Administration: Lessons from Return and Resettlement of IDPs in Soroti District: Implications for PRDP, National Land Policy, Land Act CAP 227 and NPIDPs 2005
January 2007
Margaret Rugadya, Eddie Nsamba-Gayiiya and Herbert Kamusiime (Associates for Development)
A second report for the World Bank’s Northern Uganda Recovery and Development Program – RDP. The objective is to inform policy processes on post-conflict land policy and administration on likely types of land conflicts and claims, their resolution, gaps in current land policy, resources needed. Survey suggests that Teso’s IDP displacement patterns are unique. Customary tenure has been transformed, with household heads now owners, not trustees, of rights in land, so clans are merely informed of sales. Common property resources are at greatest risk. Recommends integration of traditional and statutory institutions. High suspicion of any titling or certification initiatives. Increase in land rentals. Entire framework of land administration is non-functional and no established institutional framework exists to handle restitution, resettlement and compensation; restoring this should be a priority. None of national strategies and plans for recovery of Northern Uganda consider land issues an essential component – argues this should be first priority.