Over 4,000 Rwenzori families acquire land ownership Certificates
A total of 4,192 people received the certificates during the 10th annual Land Awareness Week, held from August 24–29, 2026, across Bunyangabu, Kabarole, Kamwenge and Kyenjojo districts.
Minister of State for Lands Harriet Ntabazi hands over land documents in Kasese. (Photos by Aloysious Kasoma).
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Over 4,000 residents in the Rwenzori region have acquired Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs), enabling communities to use their land as an economic asset.
A total of 4,192 people received the certificates during the 10th annual Land Awareness Week, held from August 24–29, 2026, across Bunyangabu, Kabarole, Kamwenge and Kyenjojo districts.
The campaign was spearheaded by Cordaid in partnership with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development under the Agricultural Governance Results Improvement Project (A-GRIP).
Held under the theme, “Promoting Land Rights and Sustainable Land Use for Inclusive and Sustainable Development,” the campaign sought to address challenges associated with insecure land ownership, including land grabbing, disputes and limited investment in land.
Ronnie Bashabe, Senior Expert in Result-Based Financing at Cordaid, said documentation of customary land ownership gives communities greater confidence to protect and invest in their property.
He said secure land tenure should be viewed beyond its legal importance because it also contributes to agricultural productivity and household economic development.
“Land tenure security is fundamentally an economic productivity issue. When farmers hold legal documentation, they invest more confidently—planting perennial crops, adopting better soil-management practices, accessing credit and planning for the long term,” he said.
For beneficiaries, the certificates are already creating opportunities for investment. Doreen Nankunda, one of the recipients, said the documentation had increased her confidence in developing her property.
“I now feel confident that the land is mine and that I can acquire a loan to develop my life and that of my family,” Nankunda said.
In Bunyangabu, a couple that recently received a joint CCO used the documentation to secure a small loan to expand their coffee and banana plantation and install water-harvesting structures.
The campaign also promoted joint land registration as a means of strengthening women’s land rights. Under A-GRIP, at least 70% of targeted CCOs are expected to include women as co-owners.
Minister of State for Lands Harriet Ntabazi urged more landowners to take advantage of the programme, saying Government was committed to bringing land registration services closer to communities.
She also warned against fraudulent land transactions, particularly double titling, which she said contributes to land conflicts.
“Very many big people are fond of double titling of the same land but the law will catch up with them,” Ntabazi warned.
The week featured community dialogues, mobile legal clinics, radio programmes and stakeholder engagements to increase awareness of land rights and sustainable land use.
The initiative brought together Cordaid, the Ministry of Lands, PELUM Uganda, local governments, community leaders, legal practitioners and other stakeholders.
A-GRIP is a five-year programme running from November 2023 to October 2028 and funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is implemented by Cordaid in consortium with the Global Land Tool Network and ZOA, with technical support from the Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
The programme operates in 16 districts across Busoga, Elgon, Kigezi, Lango and Rwenzori regions, seeking to strengthen local land administration and agricultural extension systems.
Bashabe said continued investment in secure land ownership would help unlock the productive potential of Uganda’s land while protecting communities from disputes and illegal acquisition.