Summary
February 2020 Insight – Land Access & Mining In Uganda: Key Issues for Policy-Makers: Access to land is essential for the successful operation of oil, gas, energy and mining projects. However, often a time, there are social, environmental and economic issues associated with acquiring land for these projects. Socially, many people are relocated to unfavourable places; economically, local communities are not given adequate compensation; environmentally, extractive industries are associated with pollution which negatively impact on the agricultural and fishing industries relied on by the local communities. This short paper explores the situation in Uganda with the main objective of analysing the nexus between land access and the mining sector in the country. The paper follows the questions raised on the 24th of October 2019, during an expert witness session, where Dr. Nalule appeared before the Commission of Inquiry into Land matters in Uganda, chaired by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire. This paper is therefore intended to give an insight of some of the key issues in the Ugandan mining sector with respect to land access. The paper is beneficial to the Ugandan policy-makers and other government officials in developing countries, who are dealing or interested in land administration, mining and environmental protection.