COMPREHENSIVE COHERENT LAND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT MECHANISMS IN TESO SUB-REGION FINAL REPORT, JULY 2017 COMPREHENSIVE COHERENT LAND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT MECHANISMS IN TESO SUB-REGION, JULY, 2017 Consultants: Field Research Component: Desk Study Component: Pascal Odoch, PhD Mushanga David Ndyabarema and Melanie Greenstar International (U) Ltd Nagasha Development and Management Consultants Mushanga & Associates Solicitors and Advocates Plot 8 Ganafa Road, Suite 21, First Floor Kira House, P.O Box 10942, Kampala, Uganda Plot 4 Pilkington Road, P.O Box 16, Kampala, Uganda Cover page courtesy photos: Bottom Left: Map of Uganda showing Teso Sub-Region (shaded in red) Top Left: An aerial view of settlement pattern in rural Teso. Middle Left: Ox-ploughing in action. Bottom Right: A large scale commercial maize farming. Design: Herbert Echelu Makilaki Design7 (U) Ltd Tel: 256 782 950 895 Jumabhai Road Opp Owen Clinic P.O. Box 150 Soroti, Uganda E-mail: [email protected] Disclaimer: The views and interpretations expressed in this report are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Teso Initiative for Peace, nor GIZ-RELAPU. Comprehensive Coherent Land Conflict Management Mechanisms in Teso Sub-Region iii Contents List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ..................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgement................................................................................................................................. ix Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ x 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ..........................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Background ................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Justification for the study ............................................................................................................. 6 1.4 Assignment purpose and objectives .............................................................................................7 Structure of the Report ...................................................................................................................... 8 2.0 METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................................................................9 2.1 Approach to the assignment ........................................................................................................9 2.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 9 2.3 Limitations .................................................................................................................................. 12 3.0 DISCUSSIONS OF STUDY FINDINGS ...........................................................................................13 3.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 13 3.2 Discussion of desk study findings ...............................................................................................13 3.2.1 Land tenure systems in Uganda ..................................................................................................13 3.2.2 Land and land issues in Teso Sub-Region ....................................................................................17 3.2.3 Policy and legal framework for land management in Uganda ....................................................18 3.2.4 Land Rights in Uganda ................................................................................................................ 22 3.2.5 Land rights and Teso Sub-Region practices on Customary land tenure system ..........................27 3.2.6 Whose land rights are at risk in Teso Sub-Region? .....................................................................29 3.2.7 Institutional (formal) arrangement for land administration and management ..........................30 3.2.8 Formal Land Conflict Mechanisms ..............................................................................................32 3.2.9 Informal land conflict mechanisms .............................................................................................35 3.2.10 Existing mechanisms used in land conflicts in Teso Sub-Region ................................................36 3.2.11 Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) ........................................................................................42 3.3 Discussion of Field Research Findings .........................................................................................42 3.3.1 Basic characteristics of the survey respondents .........................................................................42 3.3.2 Effectiveness of existing informal land conflict management approaches .................................46 3.3.3 Practices that work in informal Land Administration and Management ....................................53 3.3.4 Key Lessons Learnt from the use of various land conflict management approaches .................56 3.3.5 Capacity of key stakeholders engagement in land conflict management ...................................62 3.3.6 Impact of existing conflict management mechanisms on key population ..................................64 Comprehensive Coherent Land Conflict Management Mechanisms in Teso Sub-Region iv 4.0 CONCLUSION, LESSONS LEARNT, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................68 4.1 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 68 4.2 Lessons Learnt ............................................................................................................................ 69 4.3 Recommendations ...................................................................................................................... 72 ANNEXES: .............................................................................................................................................75 Annex 1: Hierarchy of where to go in case a land conflict arises ..........................................................75 Annex 2: The Field Research Team .......................................................................................................76 Annex 3: List of People Met .................................................................................................................. 76 Annex 4: Key References ...................................................................................................................... 84 Annex 5: The Terms of Reference .........................................................................................................86 Comprehensive Coherent Land Conflict Management Mechanisms in Teso Sub-Region v List of Photos Photo 1: Map of Teso Sub-Region .......................................................................................................... 4 Photo 2 (below): District level consultations, Bukedea ........................................................................58 Photo 3 (below): A widow speaking at Katakwi Sub-County ................................................................64 List of Boxes Box 1: Drivers of ineffectiveness of existing informal land conflict management approaches ............53 Box 2: What works (Best practices) on existing informal land conflict management approaches .......56 Box 3: Lessons Learnt from the application of informal land conflict resolution approaches ..............61 Box 4: The Ten (10) core offices for handling informal land conflict ....................................................62 Box 5: Internal capacity challenges facing administrators of informal land conflict.............................63 Box 6: Impact and category affected most due to mal-administration ................................................65 Box 7: Mainstreaming Comprehensive and Coherent Conflict Management Mechanisms .................67 List of Tables Table 1: Total number of households and sample size per Sub-County ...............................................10 Table 2: Field Research Component primary data and information sources ........................................11 Table 3: Land-related cases received and handled by Soroti High Court since 2010 ............................37 Table 4: Respondent’s period of residence in the community of survey..............................................43 Table 5: Respondent’s age .................................................................................................................... 43 Table 6: Respondent’s marital status ....................................................................................................43 Table 7: Respondent’s ability to read and write in vernacular (Ateso/ Kumam) ..................................44 Table 8: Respondent’s ability to do numeracy in vernacular (Ateso/ Kumam) .....................................44 Table 9: Respondent’s highest level of education attained ..................................................................45 Table