UGANDA, Soroti | Real Muloodi News | The government of Uganda has taken on the good cause by earmarking UGX 32 billion to facilitate the process of land mapping and processing certificates of land for occupancy to contain the rising cases of land fraud.
Mr Dennis Obbo, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, said that the activity shall take place in 35 districts, among which include, Soroti City and Katakwi.
“The government through the Ministry of Lands has secured UGX 32 billion to continue with activities of mapping and processing certificates of land of occupancy in 35 districts across the country, a move aimed at resolving increasing land grabbing and conflicts in addition to promoting land use management,” said Mr Obbo.
Mr Obbo revealed this at the closure of the Responsible Land Policy in Uganda (RELAPU) project, which was held at the Asuret sub-county headquarters, Soroti District.
The RELAPU project launched in Teso Region in 2016, had been part of the One World, No Hunger special initiative, brought by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development in partnership with the Ministry of Lands.
The main purpose of the RELAPU project was to improve access to land by less privileged and marginalised groups, especially the women who have a history of being denied land ownership rights in Central, Northern and Eastern Uganda.
The leader of the RELAPU project said that since 2016, the German initiative has implemented its goal in the five sub-counties of Soroti and Katakwi. The initiative has seen the mapping of more than 12,000 land parcels and the processing of 3412 certificates of customary ownership. It has also built capacity for the different stakeholders involved.
Mr Simon Peter Ekuu, a leader in the Soroti district said that land mapping has helped people to know the boundaries of their land, which was lacking before and had caused a lot of land wrangles.
He thanked the government and the GIZ RELAPU project for bringing an end to land conflicts in Soroti District.
At the closing ceremony of the project, over 5,000 people in Soroti and Katakwi districts received certificates of customary ownership.
One of the beneficiaries of the project, Mary Apio from Asuret sub-county, Soroti District said that the demarcating of their customary land has helped to reduce land wrangles within her clan.
“I am excited to be among the pioneers who received the certificates of customary ownership of land. Many of my relatives have been fighting over our land boundaries which has been sorted out by the government initiative of mapping our land,” Apio said.
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