East Africa: Status, trends and challenges in propoor land tenure

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East Africa Status, trends and challenges in
pro-poor land tenure

• By Michael Mpalanyi
• LandNet East Africa Coordinator

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LandNet East Africa

• The Network has undergone structural changes
  with support from I.L.C, U.L.A and the partners
• ULA held a planning meeting this year in Uganda
  and the partners came up with a new plan that
  will see the network move forward
• Efforts are underway to strengthen the capacity
  of the network to share best practices and
  challenges within and across East Africa.
• The secretariat is fundraising for the continuity
  and sustainability of the network

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Status of the Pro-poor Land tenure in E. Africa

• Colonial governments introduced legislative
  changes in land relations in order to facilitate
  their own agendas like alienating the Africans of
  their crucial factor of production land and
  creation of markets in Land
• The process led to prevailing status of land
  dispossession, landlessness and denial of womens
  land rights and other disadvantaged groups. After
  independence govts introduced commissions of
  inquiry try and streamline the land mgt and
  control.

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Status

• During the commissions of inquiry into Land
  matters, formulation of national land policies
  and enactment of new land laws, pro-poor land
  tenure was prominent. Various reports and drafts
  full of pro-poor policies await endorsement and
  implementation though some sections in the land
  Acts and policies are being implemented. i.e In
  Tz, Ug,RND and Ky.

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Status

• Currently, the E.A countries are at the
  historical juncture of the finalization and
  implementation stage of pro-poor land tenure
  reforms. So not all that is contained in the
  Land Acts and Policies is being implemented as
  expected by the citizens.
• More heated debates on the implications of the
  new legislative changes are expected and some
  have taken place. In kenya the 8th and 9th
  parliament has left a lot to be desired. In
  Uganda come April 2008.

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Trend of pro-poor land tenure

• Agitation for new policy, legislative and
  institutional changes pegged on liberalization of
  land tenure to facilitate free markets in land
• Streamlining of the Land market to increase the
  value of land and allow its use in a more
  productive manner
• Advocating for policies which favors sections of
  vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society
  like women, pastoralists, squatters and IDPs and
  inclusion of cross cutting issues like HIV/AIDS.

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Challenges in Pro-poor Land tenure

• The poor have remained outside the legal systems
  despite the efforts to bring them on board. Most
  of them are not able to fully participate in the
  Land market.
• Majority of poor people still suffer from
  evictions and lack access to land and natural
  resources.
• Current land reforms have failed to balance
  commercial interests with security of tenure for
  small land holders and users.

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Challenges

• Weak Land administration institutions at local
  levels
• Non existent or dysfunctional land disputes
  management systems
• Lack of public awareness on the land tenure
  systems. Most poor people dont know the thematic
  content and implications of the land policy and
  laws

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• THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION