Uganda’s Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, has issued a clarion call to land sector stakeholders to urgently implement existing land policies and advance women’s rights to land ownership and management. Her message highlighted persistent challenges in bridging policy frameworks with grassroots realities, particularly for women farmers.
Speaking through Hon. Judith Nabakooba, the Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Nabbanja’s remarks were delivered at the second National Symposium on Land Governance in Uganda, held on 27 June 2025 at the Parliament of Uganda. The symposium was convened under the theme “Securing Women’s Agricultural Land Ownership: A Political and Development Imperative”.
Despite government investments in land registration systems and community sensitisation, the Prime Minister acknowledged that deep-rooted customary practices continue to override statutory laws, leaving women sidelined in land ownership and decision-making.
“We still see customary practices that override statutory laws and discriminate against women. We must ask ourselves what we are doing as leaders, institutions and citizens to dismantle the invisible barriers that deny women their rightful stake in the land they till,” Nabbanja said.
The Ugandan government, she noted, remains committed to enhancing institutions that promote equitable land access, fast-tracking gender-responsive land registration processes, and driving legal reforms to make land ownership accessible for women, particularly in rural communities.
“This journey requires more than political pledges; it demands systems that are transparent, accountable and gender responsive. We must ensure that land titling processes are simplified, decentralised and inclusive,” Nabbanja added.
She further called upon cultural institutions to align traditional practices with constitutional provisions, advocating for the recognition of women’s rights to customary land ownership.
“Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on gender equality and zero hunger cannot be achieved unless women have control over productive assets, especially land. We must operationalise these commitments through national action and place women at the heart of land governance,” the Premier emphasized.
Hon. Christine Kaaya, Chairperson of the Uganda Parliamentarians Land Management Forum and District Woman Representative for Kiboga, urged stakeholders to intensify efforts in land governance, particularly in clearing backlogs in land disputes and advocacy.
“The debate on land governance should be on everyone’s agenda,” she said, calling for broader national engagement.
Adding a civil society perspective, Francis Odokorach, Oxfam Country Director in Uganda, underscored that while women make up 70% of Uganda’s agricultural workforce, very few own the land they cultivate — a gap that stifles productivity and economic empowerment.
“If women have full control over the land and can make decisions, we can expect sustainable development. But this is not just a development issue — it is a political imperative rooted in equity and constitutional values,” he remarked.
Odokorach urged government leaders to mainstream gender in land policy, increase budgets for women-targeted land certification programmes, and enhance land information systems to support accountability and inclusivity.
As many African countries grapple with similar disparities in land ownership, Uganda’s renewed commitment signals a critical opportunity for the continent to rethink land governance systems and prioritise the economic empowerment of women — a foundational step towards achieving broader development goals.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
