Land acquisition, compensation, and expropriation practices in the Sabata Town, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study investigated the factors affecting the consent of households dispossessed by industrialization to change job in Sabata Town in Central Ethiopia. Questionnaires to 205 dispossessed households, 10 focus group discussion and 19 key informants were analyzed for the study. The data collected were described using qualitative analysis and descriptive statistics. It was found that land acquisition and expropriation for industrial development is on the rise in Sabata Town. The study findings revealed that the expropriated households’ has negatively affected by the displacement action through reducing job opportunity, curtailed their subsistence farming, and contributed to upsurge in poverty. Lack of decision power, demolition of property by court decision, and dearth of clean environment were also negatively associated with the expropriated households’ to change job. The consent of the expropriated households to change job emanated from the arbitrary nature of property valuation for land acquisition for industrial development that did not offer sustainable income generation. Thus, there should be initiation of property valuation institution and creation of safe environment for the society.