The State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 5/95 -
The 6th Waxing of Kason, 1357 ME. -
4 May 1995

To provide for the designation of certain land; to regulate the subdivision of such land and the settlement of persons thereon;_andto provide for matters connected therewith

An overview of the types of land disputes and the dispute settlement fora.

The main functions of the Department of Surveys and Lands (DSL) are the recording and supply of land, mapping, survey and remote sensing information. In addition the department provides professional services and advice on these subjects, mainly to other government Departments and aid projects. It also does compulsory acquisition work for parastatal organizations and provides an information and sales service on its products to the public.

The rate of degradation and depletion of natural resources in Africa has been accelerated as a result of the increasing population pressure. The lack of reliable quantitative and qualitative information on vegetation cover and land use at national and regional levels has been the major limiting factor in development planning, sustainable management of agriculture and forestry resources, the food security early warning systems, environmental monitoring as well as in biodiversity assessment and protection.

This paper examines the evolution and the nature of the current forms of land tenure in Masindi District and the extent to which these forms impair or facilitate positive socio-economic changes. Such an examination is vital in light of the fact that there exists no convincing empirically grounded studies on the impact of the official land policies on the relationships between forms of land tenure, social structure and agricultural production.

This paper employs an historical analysis to consider some of the consequences of conflicting resource use and political friction on resource exploitation within and outside Turkana District during this century. Given this historical context, development alternatives tested to ameliorate food insecurity are reviewed.The article proposes that the stage for political conflicts, environmental degradation and food insecurity within the region was set decades ago.