A Report on Land Grabbing's Effects in Uganda: Analysis

This report delves into the pervasive issue of land grabbing in Uganda, examining its multifaceted consequences. It explores the historical context of British colonization and its lasting impact on land ownership and resource management, highlighting the rise of land grabbing as a significant impediment to Uganda's development. The report investigates several key cases, including the establishment of oil palm plantations in Kalangala, and analyzes the motivations behind land acquisition by foreign investors, including corporations and governments, for purposes of agricultural production and resource extraction. It assesses the environmental impacts, such as deforestation and pollution, and the social repercussions, including displacement of local communities, loss of livelihoods, and conflicts over land rights. The report also examines the role of the Ugandan government in attracting foreign investment and the resulting challenges to environmental sustainability and social equity. It concludes by summarizing the significant issues and challenges associated with land grabbing, including human rights violations and the destruction of community resources, and provides a comprehensive overview of this critical issue affecting Uganda's development and its people.

Running head: LAND GRABBING IN UGANDA
Land Grabbing in Uganda
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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The process of land grabbing in Uganda
Uganda had been colonized by the British Empire for a long time. The British had
reigned over Uganda for many years till they got independence from the strict colonizers. There
are several conflicting situations that have arisen due to the various serious issues within the
country (Franco 2012). Land grabbing has become one of those serious situations that have been
one of the main distractions in the path of the development of the country. There have been
several environmental and societal impacts because of this in the country. Some important cases
of land grabbing have been observed in the Kalangala in Lake Victoria where oil palm
plantations had been set up. The purpose of setting up these different plantations was to improve
the economic conditions of Uganda (Borras Jr and Franco 2013). The lifestyles of the people
would be improved with this as well. This process of land grabbing has affected the local
communities within the country.
The process of land grabbing is not all a new thing altogether. This has been done for
ages now. The investors come to Uganda to expand their business. They look to buy the areas
used by the local communities. Another way is to take that area of land as lease. These outside
investors can be the corporations or the governments. These land areas are taken by the
government or the other investors to establish their factories (Borras Jr and Franco 2013) They
want to sell those things in the foreign market and in exchange get the foreign money indeed.
These commodities can be the food crops or the agricultural fuel as well. This land grabbing can
also take place in the protected reserve areas, mines and other things. These things can earn a
high rate return on investments (Ingram 2013).

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In this study, the purpose will be to discover the actual condition that is happening in
Uganda. The Government of Uganda has been very much interested to draw the foreign
investment. This is why the government has given the foreign investors to go on to explore the
large areas of land indeed. This has affected the environmental balance and caused the
deterioration of the scenario in Uganda (Okello et al. 2013) The local people have been largely
affected.
The present condition in Uganda
The present condition has turned out to be very much serious indeed. Some of the serious
incidents that have been seen in this country are the growth of the oil palm plantations; carbon
offset tree plantations as oil has been discovered in these areas for the purpose of drilling
(McMichael 2013). Many such projects have been undertaken in the areas like the central,
eastern and western regions of Uganda. The major focus of these projects has been constantly on
the Kalangala palm oil project on the Bugala Island that is situated in Lake Victoria. This project
has received a back up from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and
World Bank. It has been a continual process that the local communities have lost their lands in
the random effect indeed (McMichael 2013) This has been a great cause for worry.
The purpose of the constitution of Uganda has always been to secure the rights of the
Ugandan rural communities.. However, this situation has been violated very effectively. The
people are unable to use the natural resources indeed. The local economy has been affected to a
large point as well.
Social impacts for land grabbing in Uganda

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The process of land grabbing has been a major issue in the geography and demography of
the country named Uganda. The major impacts have been felt on the rural communities of the
country mostly. The foreign investors have been trying to set up some new factories that could
be helpful in order to develop the economy of the country (Mwangu 2014). The major impacts in
the society have been observed that the local farmers have been deprived of their agricultural
lands. The fire products and firewood products have been misused as well. The local people
chosen the option have migration in order to earn their livelihood. The food crops have been
damaged as well (Mwangu 2014). The local and rural cultures have not been that much
impressive than it used to be. The food crops are destroyed because of industrialization so the
people are finding it hard to bring the food. They have to import it from outside. As a result the
prices of the food products have been increasing badly. The wages that are offered to the local
people and they are unable to meet the ends. In some of the regions like Albertine, the people
have seen that they have lost the lands without their knowledge (Meijaard and Sheil 2013). The
result is therefore the clashes between the different ethnic groups.
Environmental impacts of land grabbing in Uganda
This phenomenon if land grabbing has caused some serious concerns in the
environmental case as well (Alfaro and Charlton 2013). It has been seen that the industrialists
have cleared all the forests for their needs. The environmental balance has been degraded badly
because of this. The food and energy conservations have been faced in this scenario as well. The
environmental pollution ghas been created of regular carbon emissions (Alfaro and Charlton
2013).) Financial crisis has also been a very worthy problem in this scenario as well. Another
global problem has been noticed in this regard is of the highly inequitable consumption. This has
created poverty in the regions as well. The land rights assured by the Ugandan Government have

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been violated a lot (Boone 2014). The land conflicts have been a common trend in the regions
featuring the local communities and BIDCO. The small land holders have reported that
they were forced to sell their land that they had owned. The reason is the planting of oil palm.
These are the major problems that have been seen indeed.
Challenges and issues
The issues that have been noticed in this regard are the:-
 Human rights are violated as the local communities are not able to use their own land
resources in the poor villages.
 Animals that have found their way through the oil palm areas have been killed by the
owners.
 The areas in Bukuzzindu that were used for sand mining previously were being allocated
to the oil palm factories. This has also affected the livelihood of those people.
 The wells that were there in the Kibaale- Jovu villages were reported to be destroyed
indeed (Lyons and Westoby 2014).
 Another incident is the transformation of the community playground of Kasenyi-
Bamungi into an oil palm plantation has really been a serious case of land grabbing. This
has enraged the local people.
Conclusion
In the recent times, one of the most important problems has been the land grabbing
scenario in Uganda. Some important consequences are the energy consumptions in the country.
The food production has been affected in this region as well. The playgrounds have been filled
with factories so the local children have nowhere to play. The rural communities have lost their

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access to the lands. The supply of food crops have been affected as well. The social and
environmental balance thus has been hampered severely.

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analysis. Journal of agrarian change, 12(1), pp.34-59.
Ingram, R., Return on Investment. The Dyslexia Handbook 2013, p.103..
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