Do you have the legitimacy to push for so-called “regularisation” of land that is held under customary tenure, through registering it via certificates of customary tenure?

In accordance with the laws of Uganda, if you are not a cultural institution of the first nations of Uganda – such as of the Iteso, my people; or you are not representing a cultural institution of the first nations of Uganda, you have no legitimacy whatsoever to be discussing land that is held under customary tenure.

Therefore, you have no legitimacy, whatsoever, to be enforcing so-called “regularisation” initiatives, such as certificates of customary tenure, without express permission from the owners of the land that is held under customary tenure, cultural institutions of the first nations of Uganda.

It is important to note, moreover, that cultural institutions of the first nations of Uganda, own land that is under customary tenure only in trust on behalf of the people of their respective first nations.

Meaning that, a committee on land under customary tenure, necessarily needs to begin with the relevant cultural institutions of the relevant first nations that own said land. Other authorities and persons from outside of the cultural institutions of the first nations may be included in such a committee, if need be, and only for purposes of consultation.

A committee on land that is under customary tenure in Uganda should not begin with others and then later on the cultural institutions of the first nations of Uganda, the owners of the land, are included in as a by the way. It is simply Machiavellian to do the latter, as is the popular norm, some would argue.