Gender-Based Land Conflicts Surge in Kabale

KABALE: Authorities in Kabale District are concerned about the rising number of gender-based land conflicts, with an average of 21 cases reported monthly, predominantly by women at Kabale Central Police Station and the Office of the Kabale Resident District Commissioner.

This concern was voiced during a human rights dialogue at Kirigime Guest House in Kabale Municipality, facilitated by the Local Sustainable Communities Organization (LOSCO), in collaboration with the Uganda Community Based Association for Women and Children’s Welfare (UCOBAC) and the Stand for Her Land Campaign (S4HL).

Ronald Bakak, Kabale Deputy Resident District Commissioner, highlighted that his office receives at least 21 land-related complaints per month, with women being the most affected, leading to familial disruptions and children being impacted as well due to prolonged legal battles.

CUE IN BAKAK….ON CASES….LUG/ENG//

Samuel Barijunaki, the Officer in charge of the Land Desk at Kabale Central Police Station, disclosed that he registers 8 to 10 land cases weekly, with a majority reported by women. Judith Komugisha from the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Kabale Office, and Sunday Ben Duncan, a retired judicial officer, attributed the surge in cases to the public’s limited awareness of land ownership laws.

CUE IN… KOMUGISHA & DUNCUN…..ENG//

Albert Taremwa, Executive Director of LOSCO, emphasized their efforts to educate the public, officials, and activists about women’s land inheritance rights and property ownership to mitigate the escalating domestic violence cases.

CUE IN TAREMWA….ON SENSITIZATION….ENG//

The dialogue also shed light on how rigid cultural norms in the Kigezi region perpetuate land rights violations against women, particularly concerning land inheritance, where married women often receive unequal shares compared to their brothers upon their parents’ demise, due to customary practices favoring male heirs.

Language barriers faced by judicial officers contribute to challenges in resolving land disputes, especially regarding informal land acquisitions like “Ekyemiziga” (Consolatory land), complicating interpretation within the legal framework.

The dialogue also revealed an uptick in widows facing land grabbing and evictions by in-laws, particularly when husbands die intestate, with cohabitating widows being disproportionately affected.