Undressing for "Land Grabbers" not a sustainable solution to land conflicts

Undressing is increasingly becoming ‘trendy’, especially when people – particularly women – are protesting over land. In recent months, this trend started in Apaa, Amuru District and spread to Soroti District. And on Monday, Daily Monitor reported that the Minister of State for Lands, Ms Aidah Nantaba, had advised residents of Kayunga District, who are being evicted from their land, to undress before land grabbers as a tactic to scare them away.

So far, there is nothing to suggest that naked protests by women have prompted the responsible authorities to institute comprehensive reforms to resolve land wrangles in our communities.

The major issue has been land grabbing, allegedly spearheaded by the leaders who are supposed to be protecting the people. Whether this is true or not, undressing will not resolve land problems. Land issues need careful scrutiny and approach and thus, robust solutions should be fronted.

I am at loss when a minister who is supposed to deal with land issues tells aggrieved residents to undress instead of proposing a practical solution. Is undressing a solution to the problem? I don’t think so and in any case, it escalates moral decadency because much as your right is being violated, demanding action should be approached with some level of decency; that is what we want to see in Uganda.
We should not stand by and watch our mothers, sisters, and grandmothers throwing themselves naked in the name of fighting for their land.
We need tangible solutions to land issues; undressing cannot resolve these issues because it is only an event, not a process of solving a problem.

We should all live in dignity and decency!

Michael Aboneka Jr

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