Large scale land acquisition and effects on rural livelihoods; ‘A case of oil exploration districts of Buliisa and Hoima in Uganda

Abstract

Large-scale land acquisition has been on a rise globally and according to reports, 48% of the land deals counted in 2008-2009 were in sub-Saharan Africa (Deininger et al 2011). Studies show that Uganda is one of the targets for land acquisitions. However, these land acquisitions have effects on rural livelihoods since it is associated with evictions, poor compensation and loss of tenure rights. It is therefore relevant to understand these effects to influence on policy and help protect rural people against the effects. Both primary and secondary data were used in this study, secondary data was obtained from a reputable source to give an over view of land acquisitions in different regions of Uganda. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used for data collection, primary data was collected through Key informant interviews and focus group discussions covering a total of 50 key informants in the two districts. Data was then subjected for analysis using STATA to obtain the descriptive statistics and determine the relationship between the dependent variable and independent variables. The actors involved in land acquisition are both domestic and foreign (World Bank, 2010). Results show that there is restricted access to some parts of the land, reduced household income resulting from a decrease in food production which reflects an effect on livelihoods. Government should take action to protect land tenure rights of people, ensure inclusive acquisition process and prompt compensation of land owners to help protect the livelihoods of the rural communities.