Land Policy Reforms and Land Rights in Rural Uganda: Focus on Kibanja as a Tenant Right in Ganda Society

Abstract

The Land Act 1998 was enacted to strengthen individuals’ land ownership rights in Uganda. It allows outsiders to own large amounts of land, thus limiting the amount of land available for rural residents. This article examines historical changes in land policy, land disputes, and the severe land shortage currently facing villagers in rural Uganda. In the research area, villagers have exercised the kibanja. With kibanja, a farmer used to pay a small amount of rent to a landlord to engage in agricultural activities on that land for many years. After the 2000s, however, the kibanja price soared due to a land shortage, on the back of large-scale land enclosure by urban residents and a high population density. As a result, villagers could not afford to pay for kibanja, or the expensive land rent, in rural areas. Thus, the kibanja price increase resulted in substantial economic differentiation among residents in rural Uganda.