Nwoya land committees under scrutiny over high land inspection fees
Jacqueline Rita Namutebi, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Hunger Project Uganda, said the organisation found that Area Land Committees in several sub-counties were charging applicants between Sh700,000 and Sh1.5 million for land inspections required during the land titling process.
Nwoya District Land Board member Stella Kijange Lajira called for government intervention to regulate the operations of Area Land Committees. (Credit: Christopher Nyeko)
NYOYA - Area Land Committees in Nwoya District have come under scrutiny following allegations that they are charging excessive land inspection fees to people seeking to register or title their land.
The allegations are contained in an endline report by Hunger Project Uganda, a non-governmental organisation that recently concluded a one-year project dubbed "Collective Voices."
The project, which ended in July, sought to strengthen land rights for women, girls, widows, and orphans by improving access to land resources, enhancing agricultural production, and reducing hunger and poverty.
It also promoted better land governance by encouraging communities to register and title their land as a safeguard against land grabbing.
The project was implemented in Lungulu and Paminyai sub-counties in Nwoya District, an area that has experienced numerous land disputes.
The findings were presented to district leaders during the project's endline dissemination meeting held last week at the Purongo Epic Centre in Purongo Sub- County.
Jacqueline Rita Namutebi, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Hunger Project Uganda, said the organisation found that Area Land Committees in several sub-counties were charging applicants between Sh700,000 and Sh1.5 million for land inspections required during the land titling process.
Under the land registration process, applicants pay a mobilisation fee of Sh5,000 for a Certificate of Customary Ownership or Sh20,000 when applying for freehold or leasehold tenure through the sub-county chief's office.
However, applicants reported that the additional inspection fees demanded by Area Land Committees have become a major obstacle to securing land titles.
Land inspection involves identifying and demarcating land boundaries, measuring the land, and preparing maps.
After completing the inspection, the Area Land Committee forwards its report to the District Land Board, which assigns a district surveyor to capture the land coordinates before the application is submitted to the Ministry of Lands for final approval.
Area Land Committees are appointed by LCIII chairpersons in their respective sub-counties.
Committee members are not salaried and only receive facilitation during official meetings. They report to the District Land Board.
Dickens Olam, a member of the Paminyai Sub- County Area Land Committee, acknowledged that inspection fees are determined based on the size of the land and the distance inspectors must travel.
He said inspections for land measuring more than five acres can cost over Sh1 million, while land located near sub-county headquarters attracts charges ranging from Sh300,000 to Sh700,000.
Inspections for land in remote areas can cost up to Sh1.5 million.
Olam explained that the fees help cover transport and operational costs because committee members receive no regular remuneration from either the sub-county or the District Land Board.
To help address transport challenges, Hunger Project Uganda donated five motorcycles to support Area Land Committees in conducting field inspections.
Lungulu Sub- County LCIII Chairperson Atube Paladu said he was surprised by the reported charges and pledged to convene a meeting with the Area Land Committee to review the fees and establish a more reasonable and transparent charging system.
Meanwhile, Nwoya District Land Board member Stella Kijange Lajira called for government intervention to regulate the operations of Area Land Committees.
She also recommended that committee members be placed on a formal salary structure, arguing that the current system—where members depend solely on meeting allowances—creates incentives for arbitrary inspection charges.