Assessing the quality of the land acquisition process for national roads in Uganda: a case study of Luwero-Butalangu road project

Abstract

This study assessed the quality of the land acquisition process for National Roads in Uganda: A case study of Luwero-Butalangu road project. The study was guided by three objectives which included examining the process of land acquisition for Luwero-Butalangu road project, the factors affecting land acquisition process for road construction projects and strategies that can be put in place to improve land acquisition processes in Uganda. The study used a crosssectional survey design and considered quantitative research approach. Data was collected from 70 respondent responded while using the questionnaire. The study findings revealed there was a process followed during land acquisition including designing the intended road project, conducting surveys and detailed inspections of the Right of Way, issuing notices on the government's intention for land acquisition through stakeholder engagements, identifying land rights and opening land boundaries, preparing and submitting valuation reports by Valuers and Surveyors, identifying, verifying, and disclosing compensation amounts to PAPs, preparing payment batches, and creating the Right of Way Title for the road project by Surveyors. Additionally, the study concluded that various factors influenced land acquisition. These factors encompassed the existence of multiple property interests in land leading to conflicts in land ownership, unnecessary bureaucratic processes, political influences, delays in government fund release, the absence of land ownership documents among PAPs, the presence of multiple property interests and changes in road designs cause delays in the land acquisition process. Lastly, the study identified numerous strategies to enhance the land acquisition process. These strategies involved actively involving landowners at every stage, ensuring gender equity in participation within families, advocating for the creation of comprehensive policies on land acquisition, establishing clear communication channels between community members and land acquisition teams, introducing non-monetary compensations, promoting awareness through government and NGO initiatives on legislation and land policies, educating locals about their rights during land acquisition through NGO and Human Rights efforts, creating a tribunal to address grievances arising from land acquisition, engaging local leadership at every stage of the process, and deploying competent individuals in the land acquisition process.