Searching for the 'Grail'

Over the past twenty years, Uganda’s
population density has been increasing rapidly, placing
significant pressure on the use of land. Uganda now has a
population density of 194 persons per square kilometer of
arable land, compared to 80 in Kenya and 116 in Ghana. At
present, the majority of Uganda’s population still lives in
rural areas, where the main source of livelihood is
agriculture. However, the proportion of the population
living in urban areas has increased significantly and will
continue to increase into the future, with urban centers
being the main driver of economic growth and transformation
into higher value added activities. The highest rates of
growth in population density are recorded in Uganda’s
central region. It is essential that Uganda changes the
manner in which it manages its land if the majority of its
population is to achieve a higher level of prosperity
through the healthy transformation of the agricultural
sector and a shift towards higher value, more productive
economic activities more generally. Through the formulation
and implementation of smart policies, Uganda can ensure that
its land serves as a more productive asset that facilitates
positive transformation and a diversification of the
economic base. The achievement of these goals will require a
comprehensive set of actions that will promote security of
land tenure and reduce the rate of occurrence of conflicts
and disputes caused by overlapping rights; promote the
healthy development of rental markets for land; and
strengthen the capacities of institutions responsible for
the management of land administration. Failure to unlock the
potential of land may result in a deceleration of growth and
lack of progress towards prosperity. In addition, rather
than driving equitable economic growth, the process of
urbanization will result in dysfunctionality in the form of
the proliferation of slums; increased congestion; and a
deterioration in the quality of, or a failure to develop,
infrastructure due to an escalation in the costs of
construction and payment of compensation. Implementation of
relevant up to date laws and policies has to be accelerated
to make land in Uganda genuinely secure, transferable,
marketable and supportive of economic development.