Nearly 4,000 Ibanda residents to receive free land titles from govt

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Jemima Muhebwa can now rest easy after securing a land title that guarantees her rights over the two-hectare piece of land she inherited from her father.

The mother of two from Kakatsi, Bisheshe division, had repeatedly faced threats of eviction from her brothers following her father’s death a few years ago, with relatives claiming she had no right to the land.

However, thanks to the government’s Systematic Land Adjudication and Certification (SLAAC) programme, through which she received a free land title, the single mother can now develop the land without fear of eviction.

Muhebwa is among nearly 4,000 residents of Ibanda Municipality and Ibanda North County who have so far benefited from the SLAAC programme.

According to Vanansio Byarugaba, the Ibanda district senior land management officer, a total of 3,893 free land titles for Bisheshe division, Nyamarebe subcounty and Kanyarugiri town council have so far been processed and are awaiting issuance in the coming weeks.

Outgoing Bisheshe division chairman Kanyomozi speaking to the residents.

These are part of the 8,950 residents who applied for titles during the survey and mapping exercise conducted by the Ministry of Lands surveyors earlier this year.

This is the second phase of the programme’s implementation in the district. In 2020, more than 3,000 residents of Mabona parish in Rukiri subcounty, Ibanda southcounty, became the first beneficiaries of the SLAAC programme, which is being implemented by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development with support from the World Bank.

Speaking during a public awareness drive at the Bisheshe division headquarters on May 13, 2026, Byarugaba said he was optimistic that the development would reduce land conflicts and encroachment, spur development in the district and increase land value.

He urged residents to safeguard the documents carefully because of their high transactional value.

Byarugaba also encouraged residents to embrace government programmes, noting that some people declined to enrol in the free land title programme due to fears of hidden motives behind the exercise.

Residents will have to pay about sh140,000 per land title. Of this amount, sh20,000 is district fees, sh65,000 goes to the Ministry of Lands, and sh50,000 is charged by the division, in addition to transaction charges, because the fees are paid separately.

Residents will receive the land titles from their respective sub-counties.

Issues remain

Despite the development, several residents remain worried after discovering that their land had allegedly been included in existing land titles.

The issue of overlapping land titles mainly affects residents in Bisheshe division, including Kigarama Ward and Karangara ward, among others.

Karangara LC1 chairman Vincent Kaniziyo said the issue of overlapping titles had never been fully resolved and mainly affects ordinary residents.

“Some of the owners of these titles are even adamant as they refused to come for harmonisation meetings,” he added.

However, Byarugaba explained that the issue of overlapping titles exists mainly within the Ministry of Lands system and not necessarily on the ground.

“Individuals were advised to correct those mistakes brought by the change in technology,” he added.

He also noted that some old mailo land, such as Bukuto land owned by the Uganda Land Commission, remains problematic.

“We wrote to the Ministry of Lands over this issue, but we have not received any response yet,” said Byarugaba.

Unfortunately, residents affected by overlapping titles will not benefit from the free government land titles programme, he added.

Outgoing Bisheshe division chairman Johnson Kanyomozi assured residents whose titles have not yet been processed to remain patient.

On the issue of overlapping titles, he pledged to work with incoming leaders to ensure the anomaly is resolved. Applicants with complaints were advised to register them at subcounty or division offices for further action.