UGANDA

THEMATIC ISSUES
More recent conflicts between citizens and the State over land are primarily related to the
alignment of State interests with those of investors and oil
companies. Such conflicts are thus
understood
as being simultaneously between
citizens and the State and between citizens and investors.
Government, it was said, disrespects citizens’ land rights in an effort to facilitate
investments by business interests. As such, land owners are pushed off their land
without adequate compensation, making the rich richer, and the poor poorer.
Participants in Tororo discussed government-supported efforts by Madhvani (a major
investor in commercial agriculture), to push people off 26 square kms of land, allegedly
for phosphate exploitation. 4647
In Nakasongola, it was said investors were paying the Government to evict the local
Baruli from their land. Having received payment, it was said, the Government then evicts
people without consulting the land owners and inhabitants. Particular individuals within
Government were blamed for abusing their position of power to secure access to land.
In Arua, the conflict was described as being driven by a “big man in the forest.” This was
explained to be an indirect reference to President Museveni’s brother General Salim
Saleh who, it was alleged, had forcefully occupied the Biafra Forest Reserve with the
aim of building a shopping mall. In Hoima, land grabbing by top Government officials, in
46 The same company is involved in similar controversy in Amuru District. In this District, Madhvani laid
an interest in acquiring 40,000 ha for sugar plantations and factories. One of our reviewers commented
“if this was not resisted by the locals in concert with their political leaders, the former IDPs would have
had no land to return to, though the conflict is still protracted involving political dialogue as well as court
action”
47 For more information, see conflict number 35 in this Compendium.
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