(Ecofin Agency) - In Uganda, the head of the State House Land Department, Gertrude Njuba, proposed amendments to the land Act which will tighten laws against land grabbing.

Beyond simplifying expropriation procedure for stat use, the government of Uganda wishes for control of laws and land agents to be strict in order to discourage land grabbing. “In some countries like Tanzania, land belongs to the state, but our laws here are different. The bad thing here is that many people have used their positions in government to steal land,” Njuba told local press. “When land is grabbed mostly with the assistance of commission agents, some Church and government officials - when victims run to courts of law, they are sometimes frustrated and can't get justice because they are poor,” she added explaining why the situation was not changing

If the amendments are passed, land conflicts should reduce and landlords would have their rights secured. In 2015, the department headed by Njuba received about 500 complaints resolved through mediation or in court.

Souha Touré