An examination of the effectiveness of the legal protection against land evictions in Uganda: a case study of Lusanja and Bukasa suburbs in Wakiso and Kampala Districts

Abstract

The research undertakes an examination of the effectiveness of the legal protection mechanisms against illegal land evictions in Uganda with a case study of Lusanja and Bukasa suburbs in the Wakiso and Kampala districts. This thesis adopts a mixed research methodology applying both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The research has found that the legal protection mechanisms against land evictions are ineffective in protecting Ugandans against illegal evictions mainly due to a poor implementation of the law and a failure of the enforcement mechanisms for protection against illegal evictions. To a lesser extent, the ineffectiveness of the legal framework is attributable to the weaknesses in the laws themselves. Those who found the legal protection sufficient pointed out several barriers to its implementation including corruption and fraud, political influence and interference, impunity and abuse of process, poor land tenure systems, complex legal processes, limited awareness, overlapping roles of institutions, insufficient funding, lack of formal land ownership documents and social – economic factors therefore rendering the legal protection ineffective. The research recommends strengthening of the implementation mechanisms of the law against evictions, particularly streamlining the role of security agencies in land evictions and registration of all land in Uganda with all interests in land clearly defined and registered as a means of providing security of tenure to Ugandans and protecting them against illegal evictions among others.