News on Land

The Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) has given about  3,000 mechanics in Jinja City a six-month ultimatum to  vacate land on which they are operating to pave way for revamping of the railway.

This is contained in a letter from URC to the mechanics under their association, Jinja City Mechanics and Artisan Association Cooperative Saving and Credit Society Ltd.

Dodoma. The ministry of Agriculture yesterday outlined seven areas the government will prioritise in the 2021/22 financial year to boost growth of the key economic sector.

They include research, seed development and extension services. Others are increasing the size of land for irrigation farming, strengthening markets for agricultural crops, improving access to inexpensive loans for funding agricultural, and improving preparedness against invasion of pests and crop diseases.

A cyclone, known as Jobo, made landfall near Dar es Salaam in late April. By this point it had weakened to a tropical depression and impacts were, thankfully, minimal.

Land-falling tropical cyclones are rare in Tanzania so past events are outside the memory of most. It had even been suggested that Cyclone Kenneth, which occurred in 2019, was the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in Tanzania. The largest impacts of cyclone Kenneth were felt further south where at least 38 lives were lost and almost 35,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

In Uganda, more women (88 per cent) than men (78 per cent) are primarily engaged in agriculture [UBOS 2020]. Yet, women working in agriculture face more challenges than their male counterparts. 

This is in part due to discriminatory gender norms which are limiting women’s access to productive resources such as land, labour, equipment and economic capital.  Dismantling stereotypes about women’s work within the agricultural sector is, therefore, vital to improve agricultural productivity in Uganda and spur development. 

More than 400 people, mostly from the Alur tribe, who were affected by floods last year at Kalolo Landing Site in Buliisa District, have been asked to vacate land on which they had put temporary shelters.
The stranded locals had pitched camp at Kisiimo Cell in Buliisa Town Council. 

Rhino Fund Uganda (RFU) has finally left the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakitoma, Nakasongola District.

The organization has been embroiled in a misunderstanding with Capt. Charles Roy, the owner of the land where rhinos are being bred which forced the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to take over the sanctuary. The UWA says that the move was for the rhinos’ safety.

Livestock farmers in Gomba District have asked Parliament to swiftly intervene and block attempts by National Forestry Authority (NFA) to parcel out the remaining part of two central forest reserves of Kalombe and Nsowe to private investors.
NFA is mandated to manage all central forest reserves in the country.

Kampala (Agenzia Fides) – “The situation is getting worse as residents of entire regions are forcibly evicted from their lands. Forced evictions are a clear indication of violations of people’s rights,” according to a report by the Dennis Hurley Peace Institute (DHPI), a research organization sponsored by the Conference of Southern Bishops African (SACBC), on the acts of land seizure at the expense of the local population on the grounds of the Gulu Parish in Northern Uganda.

19 May 2021 (GLOBAL) — The Land Portal and Open Data Charter are launching the Open Up Guide on Land Governance, the latest addition to a lauded series of practical guides for governments to address key policy changes. This launch comes as part of the Open Gov Week (OGW), an annual call-to-action to transform the way governments serve their citizens. 

Landowners in Kisumu County are breathing a sigh of relief following Governor Anyang’ Nyong’os move, to offer them a 100 per cent waiver, on all outstanding interest and penalties on land rates.

The adverse effects of the Covid-19 outbreak on the real estate sector have occasioned the decision that aims to cushion the property owners from further losses.

The County issued a notice signed by the Finance Executive (CECM), George Okong’o, to that effect. The waiver takes effect from May 17 to June 18, 2021.

Lands Cabinet Secretary, Farida Karoney, has assured Kenyans that the National Land Information Management System cannot be interfered with.

Speaking on Wednesday, the CS while responding to questions from Kenyans said measures have been put in place by experts to ensure Ardhi Sasa is safe and secure.

"Our multi-agency team of cyber security experts has put in place all the requisite protocols to ensure Ardhisasa is tamper-proof," Karoney said.