The Government of Uganda, in collaboration with local governments, civil society, cultural institutions, and private sector partners, has officially announced the 9th National Land Awareness Week. This important event, scheduled from 25th to 29th August 2025, will take place in the Bugisu and Sebei sub-regions, covering the nine districts of Mbale, Mbale City, Sironko, Bulambuli, Kween, Bukwo, Namisindwa, Manafwa, Bududa, and Kapchorwa. The week aims to promote understanding of land rights, encourage sustainable land use, and strengthen land governance across the region.
The theme for this year’s awareness week is “Promoting Land Rights for Sustainable Development”, reflecting the government’s commitment to empowering communities with knowledge, tools, and services that protect their land and environment. The initiative is especially focused on addressing challenges such as land disputes, land grabbing, environmental degradation, land fragmentation, landslides, displacement, and population pressures, particularly in the lower belt of Sebei.
During the week, a wide range of activities will be conducted to engage communities directly. These will include community dialogues, mobile legal clinics, public sensitization campaigns, radio and television talk shows, orientation sessions, and creative platforms such as debates, poetry, music, drama, and tree planting. Citizens will have the opportunity to access free legal advice, guidance on succession and land disputes, registration of land documents, and information on key government policies and regulations. The mobile legal clinics will ensure that even those living far from major urban centers can receive timely and practical support.
The week will also foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, local governments, civil society organizations, cultural and religious leaders, and private sector actors, ensuring that solutions to land challenges are inclusive, rooted in community values, and sustainable. Through these interactions, communities are expected to gain a better understanding of land governance, environmental conservation, and the legal frameworks that support them, such as the National Land Policy, the Land Act, the Land Acquisition Act, the Physical Planning Act, and environmental laws.
Officials emphasized that the Land Awareness Week is more than just an event—it is a collective movement aimed at empowering citizens, securing land rights, resolving disputes, and promoting harmony between communities and the environment. By building strong networks at both local and national levels, the initiative seeks to create long-lasting positive impacts for the people of Bugisu and Sebei. The government hopes that, with active participation from leaders, stakeholders, and communities, this year’s awareness week will strengthen land governance, enhance accountability, and contribute to sustainable development for all Ugandans.
