Land Conflicts And Economic Development In Mpara Sub-County, Kyegegwa District Western Uganda

The study focused on the problem of land conflicts and social economic in Mpara sub county Kyegegwa district around the lower ranges of Mt Elgon eastern Uganda. The study aimed at establishing effects of land conflicts on social economic development in the surrounding communities of Mpara sub county, Kyegegwa district .It was guided by objectives that include; establishing the under lying factors that lead to the land conflicts in Mpara sub county , to establish the impact of land conflicts in the sub county of Mpara , to identify the strategies used by the development actors in solving land conflicts. The researcher used descriptive research design because this was time saving, free from human bias and less laborious. The study established that, land conflicts result from income differences, traditional culture, gender bias and other factors. The ULA which is consortium of various NGOs and individual lobby groups, come up to find out the ways of making the alarming land conflicts as the history of the past through some strategies acceptable by the laws of Uganda. The study concluded that ; because of land conflicts , people lost all or part of the income from a given piece of land, that could not access land and they were unable to produce for subsistence(get cash for essential items such as medicine). Furthermore , it was established that the social relations were affected where the Mpara households stated that land conflicts has lead to hatred , enmity and violence were landlords fear their life or were afraid to be killed and where the conflicts has lead to other grabbing of land. The recommendations revealed that, the boundaries that were put by the colonialist should be maintained between the Batooro and Banyankole resettlement area and, that the government after the consultations with the local communities, selects committee so that, the committee draws up an action plans to implement re-in settlement of the 1983 boundary. The reformation of the goverr~ment land agencies should be considered. Also there should be the development of negotiated mechanisms and convections to reduce stake holders’ conflicts over natural resources and common land, through the settlement of the historical claims and grievances of traditional land holding groups in Mpara Sub County