The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has moved a step closer to tackling the persistent land conflicts in the Buganda Sub-Region with the validation of a landmark research report.
The internal validation meeting for the Research Report on Persistent Land Conflict in the Buganda Sub-Region was held on Thursday at the UHRC headquarters in Kampala. The meeting was organized by the acting Secretary.
The meeting was officially closed by the Commissioner Hon. Shifrah Lukwago, who also chaired the meeting. It was attended by fellow Commissioners Hon. Crispin Kaheru and Hon. Omara Apitta, the Acting Secretary Mr. Kamadi Byonabye, Directors, Heads of Departments and staff from the Research and Documentation Department.
In her closing remarks, Hon. Lukwago said the persistence of land conflict in Buganda is not accidental, tracing its origins to the 1900 Buganda Agreement that institutionalized the Mailo land tenure system, creating overlapping rights between registered landlords and lawful and bonafide bibanja holders.
She noted that the situation has been worsened by population growth, rapid urbanization, rising land values, multiple titles, weak administration, corruption, political interference and slow dispute resolution.
“Validation is not a formality. It is an exercise in intellectual honesty, collective ownership, and democratic accountability,” Hon. Lukwago told staff.
She emphasized that the study was not commissioned to assign blame but to generate evidence on the drivers, patterns and human consequences of the conflicts.
“The land question in Buganda is, at its core, a question of justice, security, and dignity. Behind every statistic are real human stories: elderly tenants facing eviction, young families unable to invest because of tenure insecurity, and communities strained by suspicion,” she said.
She commended the research team for their diligence and cultural sensitivity and thanked the communities who shared their experiences, as well as the Government of Uganda and the Buganda Kingdom for their participation.
According to Hon. Lukwago, the next step is to integrate staff comments, finalize the report for formal adoption by the Commission, and ensure its recommendations inform policy, investigations and public education.
She declared the meeting closed, urging staff to remain guardians of the constitutional promise of human rights for all.
