Local officials empowered to solve land disputes

NYAGATARE- Citizen Network, Justice et Democratie, an international organisation, has embarked on a campaign to empower local land commission committees to settle land-related disputes at the village level instead of referring them to courts. Over the weekend, participants from Karangazi, Rwimiyaga and Rwempasha sectors in Nyagatare District were trained in the laws governing land ownership and succession. According to the district vice mayor in charge of finance and economic development, Stanley Muganwa, the training aimed at equipping land committee members, at the cell level, with primary skills on land-related laws. “These land committees will not only help in land registration exercise but will also play a crucial role in solving land wrangles in their local communities. We want to strengthen them with skills on laws governing land titles,” he said. Muganwa noted that most cases brought to courts are land-related. “We are convinced that this training will enable committee members to help reduce land-related cases in the district,” Muganwa added. Angela Nirere from Citizen Network said the training was geared towards addressing land disputes from the grassroots level. “After realising increasing cases of land especially in the villages, we jointly collaborated with the National Land Commission to train local officials on land laws,” she said. One of the participants, Samuel Rugambwa, said the acquired skills would help them resolve land disputes. “We have not been doing our job accurately but this training has provided us with enough knowledge to improve,” he said. Ends