A Comparative Study of Land Tenure Reform in Four Countries: Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Kenya

Abstract

It is the purpose of this paper to review the themes and issues which arise from what may be termed a ‘narrow aspect’ of land reform - that is, the changing nature of customary tenure, and its interaction with policy initiatives which have impacted on it. These are then placed within the context of an overview of the developments in land reform at a more general level in these countries. The aim is to situate the immediate and the concrete life experiences revealed by the village reports not only against this broader background of a political and historical narrative, but also in the context of the contemporary debate on land reform. The paper argues that while land reform initiatives in the region do formally address a number of critical issues, they lack a grounding in both the micro- and meso-level of policy and political action which alone can ensure their effectiveness

Citation

Cross, S. A Comparative Study of Land Tenure Reform in Four Countries: Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Kenya. (2002) 39 pp. [LADDER Working Paper No. 31]

A Comparative Study of Land Tenure Reform in Four Countries: Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Kenya

Published 1 January 2002