Parliament committee to review halt on special land title certificates
Oboth asked the committee to investigate the matter and present a report to the House on its findings.
Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oboth during a plenary sitting on September 1, 2026. ( Photos by Maria Wamala)
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Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oboth has asked the Committee on Lands to scrutinise the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development’s decision to temporarily halt the issuance of special certificates of title for three months, a move that has divided legislators.
A special certificate of title is a replacement land title issued by the Registrar of Titles when the original owner’s copy is lost, destroyed or completely damaged.
Oboth asked the committee to investigate the matter and present a report to the House on its findings.
While justifying the intervention during a plenary sitting on September 1, 2026, lands state minister Harriet Ntabazi said the ministry had received complaints that special certificates of title had, in some cases, been obtained or issued despite the continued existence of the original duplicate titles.
“These allegations strike at the integrity of Uganda’s land registration system. A certificate of title is not merely an administrative document; it represents a registered proprietary interest and is relied upon by citizens, courts, banks, investors, purchasers and other institutions in making decisions involving substantial economic value,” Ntabazi said.
She added that the intervention was not intended to deprive genuine registered proprietors who had lost or destroyed their duplicate certificates of title of the statutory mechanism for obtaining a replacement.
State Minister for Lands Harriet Ntabazi presents a statement before parliament on the temporary suspension and review of issuance of special titles in Uganda.
“Our responsibility is to reconcile security with accessibility, due diligence with efficiency, and administrative oversight with the statutory independence of the Registrar. The three-month intervention provides government with an opportunity to address weaknesses that have persisted for too long,” Ntabazi added.
The Deputy Attorney General, Jackson Kafuuzi, clarified that the intervention did not breach the law.
“Legally, we cannot suspend the law, and we have not suspended the law. While everybody is free to apply for a special certificate of title, you may not get it immediately as the Ministry of Lands needs this time to clear its house. Thereafter, the process will get back to normal,” Kafuuzi explained.
Sumayah Nabawanuka (Mubende Municipality, NUP), the shadow minister for lands, housing and urban development, said the suspension put genuine landowners at risk. She urged the ministry to carry out a targeted audit of previously issued special certificates, while prioritising cases involving complaints of fraud or double titling.
“We need a strong land information system to enable registrars to instantly verify a title’s transaction history, mortgages, and caveats,” Nabawanuka said.
“The minister’s statement is trying to circumvent a clear provision of the law. Can this Parliament be told why there is a suspension of those sections? There are members of the public who have land cases in court; what will happen to those cases?” Namanya asked.
Richard Senteza (Lugazi Municipality, Independent) disagreed with the intervention, citing the pending fate of individuals seeking loan facilities who may require special certificates of title.
Molly Nawe (Kazo District Woman, NRM) said the clean-up of the land registry ought to be done without the proposed suspension, noting that land is a key factor of production and investments could be affected by the move.
Edson Rugumayo (Ntoroko County, NRM) commended the minister for the decisive action, noting that 21 per cent of cases and 41 per cent of the case backlog in courts of law are premised on land matters.
“Let us allow the minister to use the three months to ensure they establish guidelines that can allow for new controls,” Rugumayo said.
Sheema Municipality MP Dicksons Kateshumbwa said the ministry was on the right track in rooting out issues related to double titling and other fraudulent or irregular dealings associated with special certificates.
Amelia Kyambadde (Mawokota County North, NRM) welcomed the move, saying that the three-month intervention was a brief period and that the Ministry of Lands should be allowed to clean up the sector.