With land disputes increasingly threatening rural livelihoods, Eastern and Southern Africa Farmers’ Forum (ESAFF) Uganda, through its Land Rights Support Centre and with support from Oxfam in Uganda, is set to host the fourth Land Camp in Logiri Subcounty, Arua District, from 24th to 25th September 2025.
The initiative, organized in partnership with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, aims to improve community understanding of land rights and provide timely dispute resolution.
Since 2011, the Land Camp model has served as a mobile legal aid platform, bringing justice and credible information closer to citizens who often lack access to formal legal services.
Activities include community dialogues, mobile legal aid clinics, and radio talk shows, which have exposed persistent challenges such as weak capacity in Area Land Committees, insecurity of land tenure for women, and limited access to documentation.
ESAFF Uganda reports that previous Land Camps have benefited 19,726 citizens, provided legal aid to 582 people, conducted 304 mediations with 64 percent successfully resolved, and helped 20 women-led households secure land documents.
Masudio Margaret, Vice Chairperson of ESAFF Uganda, emphasized the importance for smallholder farmers.
“The past land camps have opened our eyes to the laws that protect us as small-scale farmers, especially as women. Before, most of us did not know we had a right to be consulted when land decisions were made in our communities,” she said.
Stella Rose Akutui, Programs Officer at ESAFF Uganda, highlighted that the Land Camps are designed not only to address disputes but to create long-term solutions for justice and community wellbeing.
“Land Camp brings land justice and land services closer to the people by empowering them to claim and protect their rights while linking land justice to health and community wellbeing,” she explained.
Over the two-day event, participants will engage in:
- Legal Aid Clinics: Free legal advice on land rights, disputes, and documentation.
- Awareness Sessions: Education on land laws, policies, and procedures to strengthen local governance.
- Land Information System Viewing: Supported by the Ministry of Lands to help citizens conduct land title searches and verification.
- Alternative Dispute Resolution and Referrals: On-site mediation and linkages to relevant institutions provided by trained lawyers.
Beyond resolving disputes, the Land Camp aims to connect secure land tenure to broader issues of health, food security, and rural development.
Organizers believe that by enabling vulnerable groups, particularly women and smallholder farmers, to access justice and secure land documentation, rural households will be better equipped to thrive.
With land conflicts ranking among the most pressing challenges in northern and western Uganda, the Logiri Land Camp represents a critical step toward sustainable land governance, empowering communities to move from conflict to cooperation.