Informal mechanisms for accessing and securing urban land rights: the case of Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

There is a growing consensus in research that informal settlements are not as chaotic as often portrayed. The processes through which households in these settlements access housing land are not anarchic but are structured and regulated by some form of social ordering. This paper analyzes and explains the nature of the institutions that actually regulate and underpin land delivery processes in Kampala's informal settlements. Contemporary land access processes are examined in three case study settlements where institutions that are responsive to the local contexts have been developed and utilized. These non-state institutions are shown to be eclectic in nature, drawing on various normative orders including state law, rules of market exchange and customary practices. Their success in delivering large quantities of housing land is attributed to the social legitimacy they command, evidenced by the general acceptance and respect they enjoy from those whose relations they regulate.

Assessing sanitary mixtures in East African cities

“…Satellite areas meet planning criteria required by KCCA that plots be surveyed in blocks for planning purposes (Nkurunziza, 2007). They are located outside the public sewerage area (Figure 4.3) and colonial township area.…”

Institutions, organisations and the urban built environment: Facilitative interaction as a developmental mechanism in extra-legal settlements in Zambia

“…Much of the literature starts from the point that informal settlements exist and then proceed to examining factors that drive their growth. However a few examine the inner operations of these settlements such as Kombe and Kreibich (2000), Limbumba (2010), Mlonda (2009), Nkurunziza (2007 and others. Kombe and Kreibich (2000) studied Kihonda and Changombe informal settlements in Tanzania, with 5000 and 35,000 inhabitants respectively.…”

“…Many of the beneficiaries from the titling project are ending in the periphery of the city where they incur transport costs to get to work. Nkurunziza (2007) also used three case study settlements to analyse and explain the nature of institutions that regulate and underpin land delivery processes in informal settlements in Kampala, Uganda. Nkurunziza (2007) firstly acknowledges that there is a growing consensus in research that informal settlements are not as chaotic as they are often portrayed but that the processes through which households in these settlements access housing land are not anarchic but are structured and regulated through some form of social ordering.…”

“…Nkurunziza (2007) also used three case study settlements to analyse and explain the nature of institutions that regulate and underpin land delivery processes in informal settlements in Kampala, Uganda. Nkurunziza (2007) firstly acknowledges that there is a growing consensus in research that informal settlements are not as chaotic as they are often portrayed but that the processes through which households in these settlements access housing land are not anarchic but are structured and regulated through some form of social ordering. The research then concluded that these non-state institutions are eclectic in nature and draw on various normative orders including state law, rules of market exchange and customary practices.…”

Satellite Sanitary Systems in Kampala, Uganda

“…Satellite settlements are a product of blocks of land acquired, planned, and serviced; and they meet planning criteria for decentralized planning purposes (Nkurunziza, 2007). They are located in peri-urban areas and are small scale in terms of population, area, network size, and treatment (Table 1; Fig.…”