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World Bank Changes: The office of the Accountability Mechanism Secretary is to be disbanded as the Inspection Panel, and the Dispute Resolution Service will operate independently.

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2 years ago

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By Witness Radio team.

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved changes to its Accountability Mechanism (AM) structure to enhance its independence and overall effectiveness, efficiency, and functioning.

The World Bank Accountability Mechanism is an independent complaints mechanism for people and communities that believe a World Bank-funded project has harmed them or is likely to be abused by one. It also houses the Inspection Panel and the Dispute Resolution Service.

This milestone, a response to the overwhelming complaints from cases handled by the World Bank’s Accountability Mechanism, including the failure to fully address concerns submitted by communities negatively impacted by World Bank-funded projects, brings hope for a more effective and responsive system.

The approved changes follow a comprehensive report by an external review team appointed by the World Bank Board last year. This thorough review explored options to improve the World Bank’s accountability process, instilling confidence in the changes made.

The report provided assessments and recommendations on issues related to accessibility to the compliance and DR functions; how the IPN can independently perform its compliance function under the present structure; options for structural changes; redundancies and efficiencies in the present AM system; and interactions between the DR and the compliance review functions, among others offering options that range from moderate to significant changes.

Based on the recommendations from the External Review Team report, the Inspection Panel (IP) and the Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) will operate as two parallel units, each independently reporting to the Board, and the Accountability Mechanism Secretary will be closed.

Additionally, a new position of Executive Secretary will be created to support both units and work under the direct supervision of the IP Chair and the Head of the DRS.

Initially, as per its founding mandate, the Inspection Panel responds to complaints from individuals affected by World Bank projects. If a Request for Inspection is deemed eligible and the Panel recommends an investigation, the Board approves. Within 30 business days of the investigation’s approval, the Accountability Mechanism Secretary will offer the Requesters and borrower the option of voluntary, independent dispute resolution. If both parties accept this offer, the Dispute Resolution Service will assist them in reaching an agreement to resolve the issues raised in the Request.

If either party declines dispute resolution or an agreement is not reached within the specified time frame, the case is transferred to the Inspection Panel. The Panel, a cornerstone of the World Bank’s accountability process since 1993, investigates to assess whether the Bank has adhered to its operational policies and procedures and to identify any harm caused.

The new Executive Secretary position will provide administrative, communication, and coordination services to the IP and the DRS. This role will ensure smooth operations and effective communication between the two units, the Board, and other stakeholders.

The World Bank has also stated that these changes will not impact current cases, and the Board will continue to explore further reforms to enhance overall accountability. The changes will be implemented following the Board’s adoption of amendments to the governing resolutions in the coming weeks.

The AM and DRS were created by the Board in 2020 to provide project-affected communities with the option of dispute resolution to address their concerns. Creating these units was a significant step towards enhancing the World Bank’s accountability and ensuring that affected communities have a voice in the project implementation process. The Inspection Panel, which carries out compliance reviews in response to complaints by affected people, was established in 1993 as the first independent accountability mechanism at an international financial institution.

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Mpigi Land Committee Seeks Cancellation Of Titles On Buyala Waste Site

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4 hours ago

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September 21, 2026

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The Mpigi District Land Committee has recommended the cancellation of three land titles issued on a 230-acre piece of land in Buyala, which the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) had acquired for waste disposal.

The committee’s recommendation follows investigations indicating that the disputed land formed part of the Buvuma Forest Central Reserve, which was reportedly gazetted as a forest reserve in 1945.

The investigation found that three titles were issued to private individuals in 2015 by officials of the Mpigi District Land Board.

The individuals later reportedly sold the land to another buyer in 2025, who subsequently sold it to KCCA for use as a waste disposal site.

Charles Tomusange Ssebuggwawo, the chairperson of the Mpigi District Land Committee, said the committee had written to the Commissioner for Land Registration at the Ministry of Lands seeking clarification and action on the titles.

“We have written to the Commissioner for Land Registration regarding the land in Buyala and the titles that were issued on it,” Ssebuggwawo said.

KCCA acquired the land as it searched for an alternative waste disposal site following the collapse of the Kiteezi landfill in July 2024.

The disaster occurred when a massive garbage heap collapsed and swept into neighbouring homes, killing more than 30 people.

However, the proposed use of the Buyala land was halted by President Museveni, who raised concerns about disposing of garbage near Namwabula village in Nsujjumpolwe Parish, Kiringente Sub-county, where the government is developing a major fuel storage facility.

The proposed facility is expected to have a storage capacity of about 320 million litres, making it one of the largest fuel storage facilities in Uganda.

The land dispute comes as KCCA continues efforts to secure a permanent alternative to Kiteezi landfill, whose collapse heightened concerns over waste management and public safety in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.

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How land divisions are fueling Wakiso’s slums

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12 hours ago

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September 21, 2026

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The rapid transformation of Wakiso District from a largely rural setting to an urban extension of Kampala City has caused an emergence and expansion of informal settlements.
Across the district, rising demand for affordable land, population growth, rural-urban migration and increasing land values are pushing residents into densely populated neighbourhoods, where planning, access roads, drainage and housing standards are inadequate.
Ms Ruth Nakatudde, the Wakiso District principal physical planner, says the growth of informal settlements is being driven by demographic and economic pressures, with land fragmentation emerging as one of the major contributors.

“Everyone is looking for an affordable plot of land for settlement. They want to stay near Kampala, probably where they are employed or operating their businesses,” she explains.
Wakiso’s close proximity to Kampala has made it particularly attractive to people who work in the capital, but cannot afford to live there.
Ms Nakatudde says Wakiso Sub-county, one of the 17 sub-counties in the district, is among the fastest-growing areas because of its closeness to Kampala.
“People choose to stay here (in Wakiso) because they want to reduce transportation costs,” she says.

Source: monitor.co.ug

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One killed, another injured as residents resist arrest over disputed Wakiso land

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12 hours ago

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September 21, 2026

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One person was on Thursday shot dead and another injured after police opened fire to quell a group of rowdy residents who attempted to resist the arrest of a colleague following a dispute of land in Kataluko Village, Lukwanga, Wakiso District.

The deceased, identified as Joseph Ssenyondo, 40, a bricklayer, died while being rushed to St Joseph Hospital for treatment after being hit by a bullet from armed police officers who were deployed at the scene.

Eyewitnesses say Ssenyondo, who was randomly passing by the scene, was pronounced dead on arrival at the health facility, while Jacob Nsubuga Wasswa remains admitted at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

The officers from Bukasa Police Station had gone to the area with the intent to arrest one of the residents accused of assault over a land-related conflict when the residents tried to remove him from them, prompting the violent retaliation.

“The issue is about land. Someone had been arrested, and he cried for help, so we, the residents, came to rescue him. When police officers at the scene saw us, they fired three bullets; one hit the Ssenyondo, another injured one person, while the third did not hit anyone,” an eyewitness said.

Residents accused Mr Ssebanakitta of fueling land conflicts in the area through unscrupulous dealings, something he adamantly rejected.

He instead explained that the piece of land in question had been sold and that the buyer had started using the property before a group of people allegedly assaulted him, took his money and mobile phone, prompting him to report the matter to police.

“The owner had started using his place, but they came, assaulted him, and took his money and phone. He went to the police and reported the matter. They had now been traced so they could go and make statements,” Mr Ssebanakitta, a land dealer in the area, said.

Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Ms Racheal Kawala, confirmed the shooting and said investigations had started.

She explained police officers had gone to the area following a complaint related to a land dispute, but a confrontation with some residents erupted at the scene.

“We have started investigating the fracas that occurred in Lukwanga, which is related to land,” Ms Kawala said.

She added that police officers were at the scene when the confrontation broke out and that they fired shots to disperse the crowd.
“In the process of dispersing the crowd, our officers fired the bullet that accidentally hit a resident,” she said.

Ms Kawala said the police officer responsible for the shooting would be arrested as investigations continue.

The incident adds to a growing record of violence and confrontations linked to land disputes in Wakiso and other parts of the country.

In February this year, Tom Kato, a resident of Kibujjo-Seeta in Bembe Parish, Namayumba Sub-county, Wakiso District, was killed by unknown people in circumstances linked to a family land dispute. Police arrested his wife as investigations continued, but the family has yet to get justice.

In another incident, a resident of Buwanuka village in Namayumba Sub-county accused police and local leaders of conniving with a land surveyor in a dispute involving more than 1,000 residents on a contested 1,044.9-acre piece of land.

Source: monitor.co.ug

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