Land Related Disputes In Uganda And Pathways To Addressing The Conflicts From Citizens' Perspective

Abstract

In this paper we use empirical evidence in Uganda to examine land related disputes and citizens’ preferred choices to resolving land wrangles. The thrust for undertaking this study was that despite various legal, policy and institutional measures put in place by the government of Uganda to curb land related wrangles, disputes over land have astonishingly become the order of the day. First, we employ a probit model to explore the factors predicting the likelihood of encountering land related disputes. We then examine citizens’ perceptions in regard to who they consider to be best suited to handle these disputes; and thirdly we use a multinomial choice model to explore the role of socio economic and demographic variables in predicting households’ choice of the authorities perceived to be best suited to address land disputes in Uganda. The findings are based on Afrobarometer dataset for a nationally representative sample of 2400 adult Ugandans. Findings show that 23 percent of Ugandans have been involved in land disputes over the past five years. The main types of land conflicts experienced include disputed land boundaries (46%), family land wrangles (30%), land frauds (23%) as well as land grabbing/illegal settlement (22%). The most trusted authority in addressing land disputes are traditional or informal structures involving clan or family members (44%). These are followed by Local government leaders comprising District and sub county leaders (24%) and formal courts of law (22%). The study found out that gender, education attainment, direction the country is taking, lived poverty, and regional variations significant factors (p<0.05) in predicting the probability of encountering land disputes while rural-urban differences were statistically insignificant (p>0.05). Our findings further show that educational attainment, age, citizens perceptions of the direction which the country is taking, Region, and Lived poverty are significantly vital (p<.05) in shaping citizens’ preferences for authorities best suited to address land-related disputes. A key recommendation from the study was the need to establish collaborative frameworks involving local leaders, clan heads, and government representatives in resolving land disputes. This inclusive approach ensures diverse perspectives are considered and leads to culturally sensitive and widely accepted resolutions.