The Community Land Security Project (CLSP) was a 2 year project aimed at empowering and supporting local communities in the Albertine region to demand and enforce their land rights. CRED through this project sought to empower local people to demand for transparency, accountability and good governance in the appropriation of land for petroleum purposes; to support land-owner claims for fair and adequate compensation through legal support and pro bono services; and to advocate for policy, legal and administrative reforms in the design, implementation and monitoring of resettlement programs. The project duration was 1st December 2013 – 30th June 2015 and was entirely supported by the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF). The primary beneficiaries of this project were the ordinary men and women in the communities, particularly, the vulnerable members of society including the women, children, people with disabilities, the elderly, minority communities, people living with HIV, the artisanal fisher folk and other peasant categories – who often lack the capacity and means to respond to situations of disenfranchisement.
This project, therefore, sought to sensitize the local communities about their land rights and to give them voice where they faced challenges. It also sought to identify the rights holders and their entitlements and the duty bearers and their obligations and work towards strengthening the capacities of the rights holders to make their claims and the duty bearers to meet their obligations. Ultimately, the project would solve or mitigate the challenges faced by the oil bearing communities. CRED implemented the project in partnership with stakeholders at the national and local levels. These included coalitions like Civil Society Coalition on Oil and Gas (CSCO) and Uganda Contracts Monitoring Coalition (UCMC), individual organizations and locally based organizations like NAVODA in Hoima, BIRUDO in Buliisa and RICE-WN in Nebbi district.
Key Achievements
Local communities empowered to demand for transparency and to hold land grabbers accountable.
They community groups across the project districts were empowered to demand for accountability. In a number of cases, community groups exposed land grabbers. The local people in Kiryamboga village, Buseruka Sub County, Hoima district took steps to challenge prominent officials in Hoima that fraudulently processed land titles over community customary interests. The land grabbers were exposed and a law suit filed challenging the illegal and fraudulent titles that were issued. The local people of Kijaayo village, Kiziranfumbi Sub County, Hoima district took similar action by suing Kinyara Sugar Works Ltd and Hoima Sugar Ltd for evictions and malicious damage to people’s properties. In Buliisa district, CRED paralegals demanded for an inventory of persons that had applied for land in the district which the Buliisa District Land Board eventually publicized on sub county notice boards. On the basis of this information, the residents of Waiga village successfully challenged an application for 5000 acres of land by an individual. Similarly, in Bikongoro village, Bullisa district, the District Land Board agreed with community members that were challenging an individual’s ownership of 472 acres of land. In both of these cases, the DLB declined to offer the said land to the accused. In Hoima district, McAlester energy resources that is believed to have been part of the scheme that wrongfully evicted residents of Rwamutonga was forced to halt its plans. Eventually, this errant company is reported to have abandoned its Ugandan operations http://www.oilinuganda.org/features/land/embattled-oil-waste-company-leaving-uganda.html
Mediation of land disputes providing quick relief and sustainable peace relations in the communities
CRED emphasized amicable resolution of land disputes. CRED conducted training for its paralegals on Alternative Dispute Resolution including mediation. The paralegals have applied the skills acquired to amicably resolve disputes in the community. CRED paralegals successfully mediated at least 18 cases in Hoima, 9 in Buliisa and 4 in Nebbi. CRED lawyers also resolved a number of cases during the legal aid week. One of the most astounding resolved case is the case involving 300 households in Rusoona village. These residents were in conflict with one family in the village over ownership of approximately 600 acres of land. CRED worked with the LC 3 of Kabwoya and the office of the RDC, Hoima to successfully resolve this case. On 18th June 2015, the conflicting parties led by the LC 1 of Rusoona village and Mzee Kaseregenyi entered into a Memorandum of Understanding that effectively resolved this dispute that could have caused massive displacement and bloodshed in the area.
Proposed amendment of Article 26 of the Constitution abandoned
According to a cabinet memo dated June 2014, the government of Uganda had planned to amend article 26 of the constitution to remove the requirement for prior compensation in cases of compulsory acquisition of land. CRED facilitated meetings with civil society organizations working in the land sector to generate a common position. CRED worked with Transparency International Uganda, Uganda Land Alliance, among others to launch a campaign against the proposed dilution of the protections accorded by the current constitution. This campaign was aired in national print and electronic media platforms. Consequently, the government did not carry forward the proposed amendment in the constitutional amendment bill that was recently tabled on the floor of parliament.
Buliisa district embarks on developing a district land ordinance to streamline land relations in the district
Buliisa district decided to develop a district land ordinance. This was after the district officials were exposed to gaps in land rights administration and management in the district by CRED. CRED was invited by the district to support this process. The district land ordinance once completed will be an important reference and guidance document given the unique nature of land ownership in the district.
Increased demand for land registration in the Albertine region as a first step in promoting tenure security
CRED carried out a campaign of sensitizing local people to document their interests in land. This campaign was carried out through radio talk shows, spot messages and community sensitization meetings. The local people were specifically encouraged to apply for Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs), which are cheap and affordable by local people with a view of enhancing tenure security for community groups. For vulnerable groups like the widows, children, poor and elderly, CRED provided them the application forms free of charge. As a result of this campaign, the local people across the region were more willing to register their interests in land. In Buliisa district alone, the District Land Board received over150 applications for customary certificates of title. Due to this overwhelming demand for CCOs, the government set out to support the DLBs and Sub County recorders to issue the certificates by conducting trainings for Sub County and district officials and supplying them with the serialized CCOs. The ministry of lands agreed to partner with CRED to roll out the CCOs in the Albertine region.