Uganda

International Alert has worked on conflict-sensitive governance and equitable development in Uganda since 2007, with a particular focus on the relationship between business investment and human rights.

Our work supports governments, businesses, and communities to prevent and resolve conflicts that arise from investment in land, natural resources, and infrastructure.

As Uganda expands its oil and gas industry, longstanding drivers of tension remain – including disputes over land, unresolved community complaints, and inconsistent enforcement of rules and protections. Our most recent projects helped strengthen communication and trust between government, businesses, and local communities. As part of this work, we produced research and guidance that continue to shape policy and practice on business and human rights. We advocated for better government oversight, supported responsible business conduct, and equipped communities with the tools and confidence to raise concerns and seek fair outcomes before tensions escalate.

Understanding conflict context in Uganda

Uganda has been politically stable for nearly four decades, but beneath this stability, conflict risks are growing. Decision-making power is highly centralised, media freedom is constrained, and ordinary citizens, local leaders, and civil society organisations have very few avenues to influence major decisions or raise their concerns. As a result, tensions tend to surface indirectly – through disputes over land, quiet resistance to projects, or community withdrawal from engagement — rather than through open confrontation.

District and local government leaders are expected to deliver services and respond to community needs, but in practice real authority sits with the national government, far from those most affected. This leaves them with little control over budgets or major decisions about investment and land management.

The discovery of oil in the Albertine region of western Uganda has significantly increased government control over resources in affected areas. Decisions about land acquisition, community resettlement, compensations, labour practices, and environmental impact are made centrally, with limited public input. When compensation is delayed, land ownership is unclear, or local communities – particularly women and young people – are excluded from negotiations, grievances build. Left unaddressed, these grievances can develop into lasting local conflict.

Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world, but there are not enough jobs to match the country’s rapid demographic growth. Many young people rely on informal and unstable work that offers little security in the face of economic or climate shocks. In areas where large investments are taking place, their expectations of jobs and improved living standards are often high. But when these do not materialise, frustration grows and trust in institutions weakens.

Northern Uganda – particularly the Karamoja, Lango, and Acholi areas – faces significant and growing pressures from climate change. Communities that rely on farming and livestock are experiencing increased droughts, unpredictable rainfall, and shrinking access to land and water. These impacts intensify competition, drive displacement, and strain social ties and fragile local governance systems. There is a significant opportunity to expand peacebuilding work in this region, supporting communities in building more resilient livelihoods and managing shared natural resources more equitably.