Assessment of traditional institutions in customary land management in Uganda : case study of Kotido District

Abstract

Background: There is an elastic demand for Land resources especially in rural and traditional settings in Uganda. Despite the legal and policy reforms in place, the relationship between land, and tradition remain intact, and it is hard to exhaust land administration and management without traditional institutions, especially in customary tenure communities. Focusing on Karamoja community, this research assesses the role of Traditional Institutions in Customary Land Administration and Management in Kotido District. By exploring this role, the study contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 7, 12 and 15, and enhancing sustainable land management. This research examined legal and policy framework provisions for cultural institutions, existing cultural structures, their relations, opportunities and challenges in management of customary land tenure. Problem: Despite Uganda's affirmative action, legal, and policy progress in land administration, customary land tenure continues to experience challenges and conflicts. In Karamoja region, traditional leaders are less involved. Significant gaps prevail in literature, and practice on whether these leaders understand and play their role as defined in legal frameworks. Thus, there was a need to study the Traditional Institutions’ role in Land Management under customary tenure in Kotido District, Uganda. Methods: A mixed research approach, utilizing the case study design was adopted for the study. Ninety-three participants including clan leaders, elders, private sector, and Kotido District Local Government stakeholders were participated. Questionnaires, FGDs and Interviews were used to collect data as Descriptive and Thematic Analyses were utilized for data collection and Analysis. Results: Several legal and policy frameworks existed, and proposed provisions to support traditional leaders in land management. However, most provisions did not directly communicate to the context of Karamoja. The council of Elders, Clan court system, and Ngi-Akiriketa were the most active traditional institution structures for land management. Several others were passive. Overall, the traditional structures, though sidelined in land administration presented more opportunities than challenges. Conclusion and Recommendations: Traditional institutions had a profound role to play for effective land administration and Management in Uganda, and specifically under the customary tenure settings. Revitalization, support to traditional institutional structures, and aligning national legal and policy frameworks to the communal setting context with high-cherished custom among the Karamojong is a great resource. Engaging and integrating Traditional institutions present more opportunities than challenges for better land management in Uganda.