By Benjamin Jumbe
A new research report by Oxfam Uganda has revealed that acquisition of certificates has customary ownership has reduced encroachment on land by outsiders against the dispossession of women from access to land usage.
Findings of the report titled “Are certificates of customary ownership working? “ launched today in Kampala show that the percentage of women whose land had ever been encroached on reduced from 59% to only 6% after acquiring a certificate of customary ownership.
Speaking at the launch, the Oxfam country director Francis Odokorach challenged the government to among other things increase funding for this program noting that the inability to address issues of land rights for women threatens their ability to feed their families and perpetuates inequality.
Customary tenure is the predominant land tenure system in Uganda with about 80% of Uganda’s land held under this tenure.