More than 1,000 land-related grievances linked to land-based investments have been reported in Uganda’s Lango, Teso, Acholi and Karamoja sub-regions between 2022 and 2025, according to new research findings released today by the Land and Equity Movement in Uganda (LEMU) in collaboration with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), and supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
The findings, unveiled during A dissemination workshop on Preventive Legal Empowerment; Early Alert and Action to strengthen in the context of land based investment in Uganda in Kampala, highlight how Preventive Legal Empowerment (PLE) interventions can protect vulnerable rural communities from displacement, exploitation and rights violations associated with large-scale land-based investments.
The three-year research project, aimed at strengthening community land rights through early warning hotlines, rapid response mechanisms, conflict hotspot mapping, and investor compliance monitoring, revealed widespread grievances involving customary landowners and investors.
“Customary land rights holders are most vulnerable to land-based investments because of their undocumented nature and the rise of land markets. Many poor landowners are pressured into selling their land cheaply,” explained Dr. Theresa Auma, LEMU Executive Director and Principal Investigator of the study.
She emphasized that preventive legal empowerment provided rural communities with the tools to resolve disputes early, avoiding violent escalations and fostering dialogue between investors and locals.
According to the study, 88% of all grievances were land-related, overshadowing other issues: Environmental concerns 15.4%, Breach of contract 11%, Human rights violations 11%, Labour disputes 6.6%, and Border disputes 1.1%
Significantly, 80% of these conflicts were at the pre-conflict stage, suggesting that early interventions like mediation and legal awareness could prevent escalation. Only 13% had escalated into violent crises, while 6% were in post-conflict resolution stages.
The findings revealed glaring vulnerabilities in land tenure documentation:56% of respondents relied on family or clan meeting minutes as proof of ownership, 26% had no documentation at all, leaving them defenseless against land grabs, Only 7% possessed formal land documents such as sale agreements or titles, while Many still used natural markers like trees, rocks or rivers to demarcate boundaries, often a source of disputes.
This gap in formal documentation exposes communities to exploitation by investors and politically connected individuals seeking to capitalize on weak land governance structures.
In Dokolo District’s Okwongodul Sub-county, 217 conflicts involving 200 hectares of Awer Forest Reserve were resolved through PLE efforts.
Communities accused investors and the National Forestry Authority (NFA) of illegally extending forestry leases into neighbouring customary land.
“Forest conservation has become entangled with market-driven motives,” said Dr. Dorothy Nacy Kobusingye, co-investigator of the study. “Investors prioritize profit, displacing communities under the guise of conservation.”
In Serere, 220 hectares allocated for commercial tree planting triggered similar disputes.
Communities resisted forced displacement, demanding boundary re-demarcation and compensation for land taken under false pretenses.
In Acholi’s Nwoya District, the Bukoona Agro-Processing Factory, a cassava-based biofuel project, has faced community backlash for its exploitative practices: Non-payment of wages and supplies to local workers, Environmental degradation from toxic emissions and untreated waste, and Severe odour pollution forcing residents indoors.
“Most people now eat inside their mosquito nets to avoid strange insects drawn by the factory stench,” lamented a resident of Lapem Village, Koch-Goma Sub-county.
The factory also reneged on commitments to purchase cassava from local farmers, leaving crops to rot and farmers unpaid.
LEMU has since intervened, mobilizing farmers into cooperatives to strengthen bargaining power and encouraging factory engagement to integrate locals into the cassava supply chain.
Researcher Alex Sebukalu noted that mining companies routinely ignored contractual agreements promising infrastructure, jobs, and community benefits.
“These investments deepen poverty and displace communities instead of delivering the promised development,” Sebukalu stressed.
The report flagged corruption, poverty, and investor impunity as systemic drivers of dispossession with Officials allegedly received bribes to side with investors. Communities claimed some local leaders demanded allowances before acting on land grievances, Government security agencies reportedly backed investors in disputes, stifling community protests.
“Resource-rich but impoverished regions like Karamoja and northern Uganda are most targeted, with locals easily pressured into unfair land deals. We see deliberate use of state agencies, including police and the army, to suppress dissent,” said Mr. Akol Ceaser, District Speaker of Moroto.
Moses Anguria, Senior Assistant Secretary for Olio Sub-county, credited LEMU’s involvement for reducing land conflicts, wetland encroachment, and related killings.
Meanwhile, Florence Agwang of the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology lauded the project for aligning with the National Development Plan (NDP).
“We must strengthen participatory land governance to ensure that investments are not only profitable but also just. Science that empowers and policies that protect should be our guiding framework.”
The study concludes that while land-based investments promise economic growth, they often exacerbate rural poverty, displacement, and inequality when unchecked.
Preventive legal empowerment offers a community-driven solution, ensuring that rural voices are heard and rights are upheld.
“By empowering communities to act early, Uganda moves closer to equitable, transparent, and inclusive land governance,” Dr. Auma said. “Government, civil society, and private investors must work together to safeguard land rights.”
The findings serve as a stark reminder: without proactive legal empowerment and stronger governance, the ongoing land investment boom risks further marginalizing Uganda’s most vulnerable.
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