Seven districts to get computerized land offices

Jun 17, 2014

The lands ministry is to open up more computerized zonal land offices in seven districts next financial year.The ministry is already operating computerized land offices in Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono, Jinja, Masaka and Mbarara.

By Pascal Kwesiga

The lands ministry is to open up more computerized zonal land offices in seven districts next financial year.

The ministry is already operating computerized land offices in Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono, Jinja, Masaka and Mbarara.

According to the lands minister, Daudi Migereko, new computerized land offices will be opened up in Arua, Gulu, Lira, Masindi, Kibaale, Kabarole and Mbale during the next financial year.

The government introduced the land information system to keep an electronic record of land titles and land transactions across the country.

The computerized land titles have enhanced features to reduce falsification.

The land registration, land administration and surveys and mapping departments are still entering data from manual titles into a computer generated program with a virtual private network that can trace mistakes and possible unscrupulous activities on titles to the people responsible in the ministry.

Migereko said new zonal offices will ease delivery of land services.

“Our clients from those areas will no longer have to come to Kampala to access land services such as processing land titles,” he added.

The ministry also plans to introduce an SMS system to send automatic alerts to land owners informing them about any transactions done on their land titles.
Migereko explained that more districts will get computerized land titles in the third phase.
Acquisition of land titles, he said, enable the populace to participate in the modern economy by using land as a bankable asset.
“The time of processing a land title has now reduced greatly as a result of computerization. We are also issuing computerized land titles which have enhanced security features as a way of stemming forged titles,” the minister added.

The ministry, Migereko said, has embarked on the process of reviewing archaic land related laws such as Registration of Titles Act, Survey Act, Registration of Surveyor’s Act, the Land Act, Land Acquisition Act, Uganda Land Commission Bill, Land Information and Infrastructure Bill. Some of the laws, he noted, are in conflict with the constitution.

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