Assessing the fairness of district compensation rates and their applicability in the compulsory land acquisition process for public projects in Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

District Compensation Rates are the rates applied to crops, trees and buildings of non-permanent nature in compensation valuations. They are determined by District Land Boards (DLBs) and moderated by the Chief Government Valuer’s Office. The District Compensation Rates are always at the district land departments for given districts where the compensation activities are ongoing or are to take place. However, for the case of districts without lists of District Compensation Rates, the rates from neighboring districts are applied. The District Compensation Rates are prepared by District Land Boards with the help of other stakeholders such as Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), National Forestry Authority (Seeds and Seedlings quotations) among others. Section 59(f) of (The Land Act cap 227, 1998) provides for the review every year of the list of District Compensation Rates by the District Land Board. This is usually not the case as some districts have outdated rates, and hence topping the challenges faced by valuers when applying these rates. Primary and secondary data were obtained by the researcher. The former data was obtained by use of interview guides, questionnaires and one on one conversations. The latter was obtained from the existing literature. In a nutshell, the researcher analyzed data using Microsoft excel to generate conclusions about applicability of District Compensation Rates, recommendations and areas for further research.