Private and communal property rights in rangeland and forests in Uganda

The present land tenure situation in Uganda is essentially the result of four factors: customary tenure practices, the mailo tenure system introduced under the British colonial administration, the Land Reform Decree passed by Idi Amin’s government in 1975, and the disrupting social order under the Amin regime and during the period following its downfall. The impacts of the Land Reform Decree and civil disobedience have led to the degradation of common property resources, particularly forest areas and pastures. Current policies in Uganda favour the privatization of property rights, including the permanent sedentarization of pastoral groups. To avoid any further weakening of the institutions that protect the natural resource bases, local communities and user groups, especially women and pastoralists, must be consulted and engaged in the formulation of policies. [author]