Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has urged stakeholders in Uganda’s land sector to diligently implement existing policies, particularly the National Land Policy of 2013, to foster equitable land ownership and management.
Speaking through the Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba, at the second National Symposium on Land Governance held at Parliament last week, Nabbanja highlighted persistent gaps in policy implementation and cultural transformation.
Nabbanja noted that despite government investments in land registration systems and community sensitization programs, customary practices often supersede statutory laws, disproportionately affecting women.
“We must challenge ourselves as leaders, institutions, and citizens to dismantle invisible barriers that deny women their rightful stake in the land they cultivate,” she said.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to closing these gaps by strengthening institutions that support women’s land access and tenure security, expediting gender-responsive land registration, and promoting legal literacy and reforms to simplify access for rural women.
“Our policies, budgets, and laws must reflect the needs of women smallholder farmers. This requires transparent, accountable, and gender-responsive systems, with simplified, decentralized, and inclusive land titling processes,” she emphasized.
Nabbanja also called on cultural institutions to align traditional practices with constitutional values to promote women’s customary land ownership. She stressed that achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 (gender equity) and 2 (zero hunger) hinges on women’s control over productive assets like land. “We must operationalize these commitments through national action, placing women at the heart of land governance,” she added.
Christine Kaaya, the chairperson of the Uganda Parliamentarians Land Management Forum and Kiboga Woman MP, urged stakeholders to address the backlog in land advocacy and amplify discussions on land governance, dispute resolution, and related policies.
“Land governance should be a priority for everyone,” Kaaya asserted.
Francis Odokorach, Oxfam Country Director in Uganda, highlighted that women constitute 70% of the agricultural workforce yet own only a fraction of the land, a disparity that hampers productivity.
“Full control over land and decision-making power for women is critical for sustainable development and aligns with the constitutional imperative of equity,” he said.
Odokorach urged government leaders to prioritize gender in land policies, allocate budgets to ensure women-focused land certification, and strengthen land information systems.
