80% of Uganda's land unregistered - minister

By Jeff Andrew Lule, Venny Kirabo & Brenda Kembabazi

Only 20% of the Uganda’s land is registered with approved land titles, meaning 80% is unrecorded, says minister of lands, housing and urban development, Daudi Migereko.

While launching the Land Awareness Week at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala on Monday, the minister said this hinders government programmes and affects development in the long run.

He made it clear that investors prefer titled land for their safety.

But to avert this, Migereko said Government is to help the locals especially the rural poor to acquire a land title at a subsidized cost of sh70,000.

“We are going to kick off a programme supported by the World Bank to see that every Ugandan gets a title for his land to allow easy economic development. We expect to kick off the programme next year,” he said.

The project, according the ministry’s spokesperson, Dennis Obbo is expected to cost $55m (about sh140bn) to run for five years.

Migereko said unregistered land is more vulnerable and prone to conflicts.

The awareness week is the first of its kind in the country aimed at promoting land rights and good governance on land matters in the country.

It is organized by Uganda Land Alliance and the Government in partnership with the African Union (AU).

The lands minister said the event was timely following the rampant land wrangles and conflicts in the country, adding that public sensitization and awareness from various stakeholders on a wide range of land issues is needed for harmony among the population to promote peace and development.

“We are going to carry out systematic land surveys and demarcations in different districts. We realized the cost of acquiring a land title is high which many people can’t afford,” he noted.

His ministry has started mapping all wetlands and working on the management of all islands in Lake Victoria.

They are also drafting a physical planning policy to see what activities can be implemented on the various islands for economic use.

ULA board vice chairperson, Agnes Kirabo said land is a social, cultural economic and political good, arguing that its governance impacts the existence and unity of the people.

ULA, an NGO, is working to influence formulation of land laws and policies that recognize the land rights of all citizens and ensure timely access to land Justice.

Police Land Protection Unit spokesperson, Emilian Kayima said 70% of cases of land are on inheritances.

Other common cases reported include forgery, forcible detainer, intermeddling with estates of the deceased persons, fraudulent acquisition of land and making false declarations.

There are also cases of registration by false pretense and criminal trespass as a result of sour relationships between landlord and tenants.

Kayima said they have carried sensitization programmes together with various stakeholders which has helped reduce incidents illegal evictions.