Land Conflicts and the Struggle for Tenure Security in Logiri Sub-County
In Arua district, specifically within Logiri sub-county, residents are grappling with persistent land conflicts that have been exacerbated by communal land ownership systems. Quintino Miria, a local resident, has voiced concerns about how this system has led to unresolved disputes, as some individuals exploit vulnerable community members to register portions of their lands for themselves. This has resulted in many losing their properties through encroachment.
Miria highlighted that some people in the area have lost their ancestral lands due to migration in the late 1970s when they moved to central Buganda or other parts of the country in search of jobs. During this period, others took over their lands in the absence of the original owners. This issue continues to affect many, including Night Ayikoru, a widow in Cia’ba parish who faces challenges from her in-laws regarding the land she acquired with her husband.
The Role of Customary Land Ownership Certificates
Jackson Agobia, another landowner in Logiri, emphasizes the importance of securing tenure to practice agriculture without hindrance. He appreciates the efforts of the local government in facilitating awareness campaigns on land registration. These initiatives aim to secure lands for future generations, ensuring stability and continuity for families.
John Bosco O’dama, the chairperson of Logiri, confirmed that over 400 hectares of land in Lazebu parish are involved in conflicts after the original owners were displaced due to war or temporary migration. He pointed out that in 1974, the government allocated unoccupied lands to certain individuals, leading to the displacement of original landowners. These lands have since been titled by powerful individuals, leaving the original owners without land.
Addressing Land Conflicts Through Awareness Campaigns
To mitigate potential land conflicts in Logiri, the Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF) Uganda has launched a land rights campaign. This initiative aims to raise awareness about the significance of land tenure security. In collaboration with the Lands Ministry, Action Aid, and FIDA Uganda, ESAFF conducted a two-day land camp in Logiri sub-county on September 24-25, 2025.
Stella Rose Akutui, the program officer at ESAFF Uganda, explained that the land camp is part of an Oxfam-funded project aimed at reaching out to communities. The camps seek to address issues of limited information on land management, ease the processes of land registration, and resolve land conflicts, which have led some people to take matters into their own hands.
Expanding Access to Land Registration
The ministry has partnered with ESAFF-Uganda to boost land registration efforts, enabling genuine landowners in Logiri to acquire Customary Certificate of Ownership (CCO) at a low cost of shillings 10,000. Initially, the plan was to provide only 10 CCOs to women households, but the ministry has opened up the opportunity for over 8,000 people to acquire these certificates.
Akutui urged the communities to settle any existing disputes before the land registration process begins. Residents are expected to fill in form one provided by the Lands Ministry, available at Logiri subcounty. A one-month timeframe has been set for the communities to pick the forms, fill in details, and return them for verification and processing.
Purpose of Issuing CCOs
Dennis Obbo, the spokesperson at the Ugandan Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, emphasized the purpose of issuing CCOs: to protect family lands from potential conflicts. He highlighted the need for landowners to safeguard against illegal evictions and ensure their land is registered.
Obbo mentioned that landowners will pay shillings 5,000 for the form and another 5,000 for the certificate, totaling 10,000. He demonstrated the seriousness of the initiative by giving 10,000 to a woman in Logiri to start the process of picking land registration forms.
Cost and Significance of Land Titles
While ESAFF and partners have subsidized the cost of acquiring customary land titles in Logiri to 10,000, it is important to note that the minimum cost of acquiring a land title in Uganda can be as high as shillings two million, depending on the size of the land.
According to the Uganda National Land Information System (UgNLIS), over half a million freehold, leasehold, and mailo titles have been issued through the established 22 Ministry Zonal Offices (MZOs) across the country, including Arua in the West Nile region. Despite progress, many areas still face challenges such as land fragmentation, family breakdowns, high household poverty, environmental degradation, and high crime rates.
Cultural Barriers and Women’s Land Rights
Land rights activists have warned against exploiting vulnerabilities to grab or deny others the opportunity to register land. Rehema Minala, a legal officer at FIDA Uganda, emphasized that the Constitution of 1995 provides equal rights for women to own land. She noted that customs contradicting the constitution are null and void under Ugandan laws.
Minala expressed concern over the growing cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), especially economic violence caused by a lack of tenure security. She highlighted the importance of joint ownership of land and having both names appear on land sale agreements.
Unreported Land Conflicts Due to Cultural Practices
Minala revealed that most women among the Lugbara communities are reluctant to report land conflicts due to cultural practices like “Aruba.” This custom limits women from reporting conflicts beyond the home setting, citing fears that it may affect the children. FIDA Uganda and partners are working to address these negative cultural practices.
