Kampala|The Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development is set to host the first-ever Learning Week on Government and CSOs partnerships in land governance from June 9-15 at the Speke Resort Munyonyo. H.E the President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is expected to grace the event as the guest of honor.
Speaking during the launch yesterday at Uganda Media Centre, the Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development Hon. Judith Nabakooba disclosed that the event is aimed at promoting successful partnerships in the land governance sector, share best practices, and addressing complex land issues.
“The success of our approaches has been made possible because of a strong partnership that we in government have built with a number of partners in private sector, civil society, faith-based organisations, development partners, etc.” – Hon. Judith Nabakooba.
Over 600 Communal Land Associations and 100 foreign delegates from 40 countries are expected to participate in the Learning Week, which will feature field visits, knowledge exchange, and dialogue. Topics to be addressed include successful collaborations, multi-stakeholder partnerships, land governance, and effective land administration.
“Uganda shall show how we have used partnerships to achieve land tenure security, and we look forward to learning from others.” She revealed
As part of the Learning Week, Uganda will showcase its achievements in using partnerships to achieve land tenure security, with field visits to two districts, Dokolo and Butaleja, from June 9-11, 2024. These visits will allow participants to learn from successful collaborations between the government and civil society organizations.
“We are excited to share our experiences and learn from others, and we believe that together, we can make a significant impact on land governance and livelihoods in Africa.” – Hon. Judith Nabakooba.
The minister also emphasized the importance of partnerships in achieving land tenure security and improving livelihoods. “We have seen remarkable progress in our efforts to secure land rights and improve livelihoods, and we believe that sharing our experiences and learning from others will help us achieve even more,” she said.
She further disclosed that the Learning Week is designed for government representatives, facilitators, and members of National Land Coalitions/Multi-stakeholder platforms, land-at-scale project partners, and representatives from regional and sub-regional institutions, intergovernmental organizations, academia, technical and financial partners, international NGOs, and civil society organizations.
She also outlined that, government has implemented various innovative approaches to improve land management, including online and community-based initiatives, with significant success. She attributed this success to strong partnerships with private sector, civil society, faith-based organizations, and development partners.
“Over 600 Communal Land Associations have been incorporated with the support of our partners, enabling clans and indigenous communities to register their customary land and acquire Certificates of Occupancy.” Said Nabakooba.
Meanwhile, Dr. Doreen Kobusingye a representative from the National land coalition disclosed that their coalition will also use the opportunity launch their Global report study on their various collaborations, where they will have members to react and comment on their report.
She additionally noted that, although the country has attraction over 1.5 Million refugees, it has created land completion especially in the host communities, urging government to come out and address the challenge. “This relationship should be governed by policy and by our laws. Yes we are priding ourselves for being hospitable but it has consequences. We aren’t saying refugees should be sent away, but we are saying the land should be allocated to the refugees lawfully and satisfactory.” Doreen said
