A Practitioner's Mind · by William Matovu
A step-by-step guide to acquiring land for Uganda's roads fairly, on time and at lower cost, from the man who led land acquisition at the Uganda National Roads Authority.
Too many road projects in Uganda begin before the land is ready. This book follows a project from first planning to the year after the road opens, and shows where land acquisition goes wrong and how to get it right.
A phased process that has land ready before contractors arrive, saving time and public money.
The working detail: strip maps, gazetting, valuation, disclosure, titling and records.
What the law entitles you to, what happens at each stage, and how to protect your household.
Every road project has to balance public need with private rights. These are seven of the questions the book works through, with lessons from Uganda's own reforms and from its neighbours.
Uganda's Constitution requires prompt, fair and adequate compensation before government takes possession, a strong protection for owners.
Kenya and Tanzania allow possession first, with interest paid until compensation is settled. The book compares the two approaches and asks what Uganda could adapt to deliver roads sooner while keeping owners protected.
Early meetings, elected grievance committees and clear disclosure turn affected families into partners in the project rather than opponents of it.
Engage before the first survey peg.Clear national valuation standards and a firm legal footing for the valuer's office would reduce disputes. The proposed Valuation Bill points the way.
A reform already under way.Kibanja holders and registered owners often share compensation by common practice. The book makes the case for clear, written rules everyone can rely on.
Clarity helps owners and agencies alike.Gazetting sets a cut-off date and pauses new developments. The book explains how to match it to funding and timelines so families aren't left waiting.
Plan the money with the map.Since FY 2018/19, land acquisition at UNRA has had its own budget line. The result: faster payments, fewer contractor claims and fewer court cases.
A reform that paid off.Letters of administration and powers of attorney can delay a payment. The book sets out how project teams can help, especially vulnerable households.
Support reaches more rightful owners.The full discussion, with cases and recommendations, is in the book.
Get the bookWhen UNRA brought land acquisition in-house in 2015 and planned it alongside design, a study of 45 road projects found clear gains.
Lower cost of acquiring land for road projects
Less time to complete land acquisition
Saved over the study period, about UGX 3.8bn a year
Share of road construction cost the compensation fund should fall within, in the author's experience
The five moments that matter most to a household, in the order they happen.
Before any survey, the project meets the community. A grievance committee is elected from your village to carry complaints.
Once the corridor is gazetted, new buildings or crops are not eligible for compensation.
It's displayed publicly. Confirm your name and plot boundaries before the valuation is final.
Title, sale agreement, letters of administration. Missing documents are a top cause of delay.
A 15% disturbance allowance is added, or 30% with under six months' notice. Replace land, house and income first.
General information from the book, not legal advice.
From the first planning decision to the year after the road opens, with a comparison of Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.
Land tenure, the law, key concepts and what slows acquisition down.
Screening social risk before money is committed.
Options, the RAP framework and stakeholder engagement.
Surveys, valuation, census, gazetting and vulnerable households.
Disclosure, financial literacy, payment, titling and clearing the land.
Design changes, injurious affection and the completion audit.
Keeping thousands of land titles and files safe and findable.
Lessons from three neighbours and from UNRA's reforms.
It has a great wealth of information. It is the first of its kind in the country.Pheona Wall NabaasaPresident, Uganda Law Society, at publication
A good contribution to the solving of the prevailing land acquisition problems.Eng. Samuel MuhooziDirector, Roads and Bridges Development, UNRA
A good reference point for anyone in this business or affected by the actions of acquisition of land for public use.Eng. Charles KizitoHead, Corporate Strategy, UNRA
A land surveyor and land acquisition, resettlement and social sustainability specialist. He was Head of Land Acquisition at the Uganda National Roads Authority for five years until December 2020, and earlier headed land surveying during the transformation of Kampala City Council into KCCA.
He is a fellow of the Institute of Surveyors of Uganda, holds a BSc in Land Surveying and an MSc in Management, and trains trainers in financial literacy.
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