UGANDA, Acholi | Real Muloodi News | Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo has endorsed the government’s initiative, led by the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, to register and issue titles for customary land.
He emphasised that this process is essential to safeguard such land from potential encroachment and unauthorised seizures.
Justice Owiny-Dollo conveyed this support during a ceremony in Agago District, where the Ministry of Lands distributed titles of customary land ownership at Kalongo Town Council last Thursday.
Responding to concerns raised by Agago District chairman Mr Leonard Opio Ojok, who feared government interference, the Chief Justice dismissed fears of land grabbing by asserting the significance of the registration exercise.
While acknowledging the suspicions among customary landowners, Justice Owiny-Dollo assured that the issuance of titles does not imply government ownership.
He stressed that these titles signify the land belongs to the individual or community receiving them. To dispel misconceptions, he emphasised the need for extensive sensitisation in the communities undergoing this registration process.
During the event, 1,017 certificates of customary ownership were distributed to families and clans in Agago District.
The Ministry of Lands is actively engaged in registering customary land and providing legal documentation, aiming to identify, demarcate, and register land ownership for families, clans, and communities across Greater Northern Uganda.
Minister of Lands, Judith Nabakooba, underscored the primary objective of securing customary landownership rights and preventing unauthorised land activities.
She emphasised that the certificates must be in the names of the clans that own the land, ensuring investors cannot use customary land as security for financial transactions.
Supported by the European Union and the World Bank, the Ministry of Lands plans to process more customary land certificates.
Their target is to register 275,000 customary landowners, including families, clans, and indigenous communities throughout the country by 2026.
Nabakooba highlighted the positive impact of the registration exercise, noting the return of peace and increased productivity in communities.
Families and communities are now actively engaging in surplus food production for sale, confident that their crops are protected from illegal land evictions.
The government remains committed to issuing documentation to safeguard clans, ensuring their land is registered and enabling owners to lease the land for agreed-upon limited periods.
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