Land Rights and Youth Employment in Uganda

1. Land Rights and Youth Employment in Uganda
Victoria Flavia Namuggala
vickatende@gmail.com
Panel Session: Land Rights and Youth Employment in Africa
Conference on Land Policy in Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 14-17 November, 2017
www.future-agricultures.org/apra
Matasa Fellows Network: http://www.matasafn.org
Funded by UK aid from the UK Government

2. Introduction
• Largely an agricultural area, the biggest percentage
(over 93%)is under customary land tenure system.
• Civil war since 1986, lasted over 24 years. Currently
reconstruction is under way.
• During war and displacement, land boundaries have
been distorted causing violence and conflict in return
areas.
• Youth are seriously affected by the situation.
www.future-agricultures.org/apra

3. Common forms and causes
• Land grabbing-individuals, families, clans and
institutions
• Land wrangles- destruction of farms
• Causes
• Increased population
• Unclear boundary demarcations
• Land privatization and commercialisation
• Poor land allocation mechanisms-death of
elders

4. Impact of land conflicts
www.future-agricultures.org/apra
Alternative
forms of
employment
Diminishing
interest in
agriculture
Prolonged
youthhood
Diasporic
search for
employment
Violence
-prostitution -youth lack
skills and
motivation
-socially one
must own a
house
-human
trafficking
-use of
violence to
solve
misunderstandi
ngs
-sports betting -lack land -pay bride price Rural-urban
migration
-Mistrust in
community
-contemporary
dancing
-Generational
divide
-hindering the
reconstruction
processes
-hawking
-housework

5. Conclusions and recommendations
• Land shortages and conflicts have greatly impacted youth
employment in Soroti district-resorting to crime and socially
unacceptable behaviour
• Land issues are largely gendered and female youth suffer
more compared to the male youth
• Conflicts are at various levels. Resolution mechanisms thus
need to be holistic and involve the various levels at which
conflicts happen
www.future-agricultures.org/apra

6. Thank You
www.future-agricultures.org/apra