Strategy for the resolution of the problem of rural, over-population and internal migration in Uganda: a case study of Bugisu district

Abstract

The problem of rural over-population and internal migration was realized by the Government of Uganda as early as 1959. Rural over-population, since then, has been found to obtain in the districts of Kigezi, Bugisu, West Nile and Bukedi. Internal migrants have also been known for a long time, to originate from the above mentioned areas. The causes of this problem have been)among others, mainly due to land shortage and lack of employment opportunities in)these areas enough to absorb the extra rural populations. This study thus sets out to look further into the problem of rural over-population and internal migration in Uganda and proposes strategies that will have to be used to resolve the whole problem Means to implement such strategies are also proposed. The study has taken case study of Bugisu district on the Western slopes of Mount Masaba (Mt. Elgon). A more detailed study has been carried out in Manjiya country in the same district and a physical development plan laid out. that.This study has found out the above problem and its main causes does exist and that the list of the above mentioned areas has~ increased to include Teso and shortly Mengo In these areas, the projected population exceeds the "capacity" population based on the concept of "land carrying capacity" of the areas ( XIV) concerned~ In other words, the working population excessive with reference to the current techniques of cultivation in these areas. Consequently, the response a£ the inhabitants there, has been to voluntarily out migrate to other parts of the country especially the adjoining areas - Ankole, Bunyoro, Busoga and Kyaggwe and Bugerere. Most of this immigration has been directed to rural, areas rather than urban areas: Unwillingness to out migrate has been very characteristic of the Bagisu. Furthermore, it has been found out that the district$ of Bugisu is mainly dependent on and agricultural economy geared primarily to the production of subsisted food crops such as bananas, cassava, finger millet,. maize and sweet potatoes, and cash crops mainly Arabic coffee on the highlands and cotton on the lowlands. Also,the urban economy is in a low state of evolution' and therefore does not provide sufficient employment opportunities to siphon off the extra rural population from agricultural land. This has been worsened by the low standard o£ both physical and social infrastructural development in both urban and rural sectors which has consequently discouraged the development of alternative employment opportunities such as could be found in small-sale industries. The main strategy proposed in this study to ( XV) resolve the problem of rural over-population and internal migration in Manjiya is that of Rural transformation: Program which will involve a land re"form programme, an agricultural development programme and the establishment of "growth centers" (poles) to act as centers of innovation development and diffusion. In addition, a social welfare development programme involving educating the rural people and instituting a population policy which will recognize the official. existence of the family Planning Association of Uganda, and deploy its expertise towards reducing rural population growth rates. After all, in the final analysis, everything towards solving the problem of rural over-population, depends on the extent to which population growth rates can be controlled