UGANDA, Rwampara | Real Muloodi News | Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba has identified a concerning link between the increasing land wrangles in different parts of Uganda and the presence of idle land.
According to the minister, fraudsters take advantage of land that is not being utilised by its occupants, leading to land grabbing and ownership disputes.
To address this issue and curb conflicts, Minister Nabakooba advised new landlords to register their land under a trustee agreed upon by the family.
Minister Nabakooba made these remarks during a ceremony where freehold land titles were handed over to beneficiaries in Bushenyi Village, Rugando Sub-county, Rwampara District.
The government, through the Uganda Land Fund (ULF), purchased these land titles for the residents to protect them from illegal evictions and land disputes.
While congratulating the beneficiaries on becoming landlords with secured titles, Minister Nabakooba warned against land fragmentation, which can lead to further conflicts over land boundaries and ownership.
She stressed that the issuance of land titles is part of the NRM’s manifesto implementation plan to resolve land disputes and multiple interests on a single piece of land.
Furthermore, the minister cautioned residents against taking loans, especially from money lenders, as this could result in losing their land if they fail to repay the loans.
She emphasised the importance of retaining ownership of land to avoid falling prey to unscrupulous lenders.
Mr Augustine Bujara, a representative from the Uganda Land Commission (ULC), highlighted the progress made in land titling across various regions in Uganda.
In the past one and a half years, a significant number of land titles have been issued, with 10,000 titles given out. For instance, Kakumiro received 2,500 land titles in January, Bunyangabo received 5,000 titles, and Kibaale received 4,500 titles.
In the case of Rwampara East, out of the 2,539 land titles issued, 69.7% (1,769) were given to men, 19% (507) to women, and 6.1% (155) were jointly owned. The remaining 108 titles were issued to institutions.
The government’s efforts to issue freehold land titles aim to promote responsible land ownership, reduce land disputes, and protect citizens from land grabbing and illegal evictions.
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