The Uganda Parliamentary Alliance on Food and Nutrition Security, working in partnership with OXFAM, visited Busia District in mid-2023 on a fact-finding mission following complaints about the effects of gold mining activity on local land, food security and livelihoods.
MPs on the delegation called on the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to accelerate community sensitisation on land rights - including on how compensation should be assessed, what customary tenure protections still apply, and how households can challenge unfair valuations.
The alliance's recommendations point to a persistent gap between the letter of the Mining and Minerals Act 2022 and the practical experience of rural households negotiating with well-resourced concession holders. Closing that gap is not optional if the sector is to keep its social licence.