Community mapping

With\r\njoint support from Dan Church Aid (DCA), Oxfam GB and Ford Foundation, ULA has\r\nbeen implementing a community mapping project in Karamoja. The project started\r\nway back in 2009 as a pilot in Iriiri sub-county, Napak district. Towards the\r\nend of 2011, the project expanded to cover all the districts of Karamoja but\r\nmostly concentrating in Kaabong, Kotido, Napak, Moroto and Nakapiripirit.

The community\r\nmapping process involved ground truthing to facilitate community resource\r\nplanning and decision making; community empowerment through education on\r\nharnessing common property resources; guiding and supporting traditional\r\nleaders in the identification of the common lands and its adjudication by the\r\nArea Land Committees; supporting the Ministry of Lands in developing the\r\nCertificate of Customary Ownership, the customary tenure registry and record.

Results of the community mapping project in Karamoja

1. Increased recognition of the role of area land committees by community members and local government authorities
2. Increased support to the District Land Board in Moroto, Napak and Nakapiripirit
3. Increased community mobilization by paralegals creating a multiplier effect in land rights awareness
4. Increased capacity of elders to administer clan land and resolve disputes
5. Increased community participation in land rights administration through formation of communal land associations capacity building for land administration institutions
6. Commitment from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to provide certificates of customary ownership, customary land register books and build capacity of  land administration institutions.