{UAH} "A VERY SHORT HISTORY OF LAND OWNERSHIP IN UGANDA"
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FLASHBACK FRIDAY: "A VERY SHORT HISTORY OF LAND OWNERSHIP IN UGANDA"
1. According to some scientists, about 13.8 billion years ago, the Big Bang took place, which led to the creation of the Earth. For others, the world was created by a Supernatural person.
None the less, every society and belief system including Science have different theories on how the world came to be so we will leave that for now, and move onto what we know.
2. Around 100,000 years ago, people start settling around present day Uganda and started forming communities, which included cultivating land. This eventually led to formation of tribes and other communities.
3. Before colonialism, the main system of land ownership in many communities was Customary tenure which was different for different ethnic groups. E.g in Buganda, this included land of chiefs, and the Kabaka. In other parts of the Country, this was more clan lands.
4. The British came to Uganda and declared it a protectorate in 1894 and introduced a system of land ownership called the Torrens System, which is still in use today.
5. A number of agreements about the land were then signed with different Kingdoms and tribal entities e.g Buganda Agreement in 1900, Tooro Agreement in 1900, , Ankole agreement in 1901 etc. The Buganda Agreement of 1900 was signed which divided land into Crown land, and Mailo land.
6. Mailo land was initiatially created only in Buganda. Other parts of the Country had the Freehold system, which was similar to the Mailo system. However, because of the influence of Buganda through agents like Semei Kakungulu, the Mailo system was extended to other parts of the Country e.g Bunyoro and Mbale.
7. Because the Buganda Agreement gave land to few owners, many Baganda became squatters and were subject to evictions and this led to riots in Buganda and other parts of the country.
This made the Buganda Kingdom come up with the Busuulu and Envujjo Laws in 1927 which protected tenants from eviction.
8. President Idi Amin came up with "The Land Reform Decree of 1975" which abolished all different types of land ownership and converted all land to leasehold, owned by the Government e.g Mailo land was converted to 99-year leases while freehold land was converted to 199-year leases.
9. The 1995 Uganda Constitution came back, reversed the Land Reform Decree and said land belongs to the people. This means government cannot take over a person's land unless that other person is compensated in full. It also went on to bring back the different systems of land ownership.
10. The "1998 Land Act" was passed by Parliament and went further in saying how land will be managed in Uganda.
11. Today, there are proposals to make changes to the "1998 Land Act" to allow Government to take over a person's land without that person's permission, and then agree on the price later.
12. Class, this is all for today. Have a nice weekend !
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-- 1. According to some scientists, about 13.8 billion years ago, the Big Bang took place, which led to the creation of the Earth. For others, the world was created by a Supernatural person.
None the less, every society and belief system including Science have different theories on how the world came to be so we will leave that for now, and move onto what we know.
2. Around 100,000 years ago, people start settling around present day Uganda and started forming communities, which included cultivating land. This eventually led to formation of tribes and other communities.
3. Before colonialism, the main system of land ownership in many communities was Customary tenure which was different for different ethnic groups. E.g in Buganda, this included land of chiefs, and the Kabaka. In other parts of the Country, this was more clan lands.
4. The British came to Uganda and declared it a protectorate in 1894 and introduced a system of land ownership called the Torrens System, which is still in use today.
5. A number of agreements about the land were then signed with different Kingdoms and tribal entities e.g Buganda Agreement in 1900, Tooro Agreement in 1900, , Ankole agreement in 1901 etc. The Buganda Agreement of 1900 was signed which divided land into Crown land, and Mailo land.
6. Mailo land was initiatially created only in Buganda. Other parts of the Country had the Freehold system, which was similar to the Mailo system. However, because of the influence of Buganda through agents like Semei Kakungulu, the Mailo system was extended to other parts of the Country e.g Bunyoro and Mbale.
7. Because the Buganda Agreement gave land to few owners, many Baganda became squatters and were subject to evictions and this led to riots in Buganda and other parts of the country.
This made the Buganda Kingdom come up with the Busuulu and Envujjo Laws in 1927 which protected tenants from eviction.
8. President Idi Amin came up with "The Land Reform Decree of 1975" which abolished all different types of land ownership and converted all land to leasehold, owned by the Government e.g Mailo land was converted to 99-year leases while freehold land was converted to 199-year leases.
9. The 1995 Uganda Constitution came back, reversed the Land Reform Decree and said land belongs to the people. This means government cannot take over a person's land unless that other person is compensated in full. It also went on to bring back the different systems of land ownership.
10. The "1998 Land Act" was passed by Parliament and went further in saying how land will be managed in Uganda.
11. Today, there are proposals to make changes to the "1998 Land Act" to allow Government to take over a person's land without that person's permission, and then agree on the price later.
12. Class, this is all for today. Have a nice weekend !
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Allaah gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him."And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things." (6:17)
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