UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | The Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development has announced significant reforms to simplify and expedite the land registration process in Uganda. The number of steps required to obtain a land title has been reduced from 27 to just four. This initiative aims to cut the time needed to process land titles from the current range of 21 days to four months, down to just 10 days.
The reform, which focuses on reducing bureaucracy and costs associated with land registration, is being piloted in the Karamoja Sub-region.
The four new steps include data collection and surveying, District Land Board and Physical Planning approvals, data processing, and the issuance of certificates of title.
“The new steps will allow for multiple services to be provided in a shorter time frame,” said Dennis Obbo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development.
“For example, at the district level, a person no longer needs to visit multiple offices over several days. Instead, all necessary services will be provided in one day, both at the district and at Ministry Zonal Offices.”
The previous 27 steps involved a complex and time-consuming process, which included submitting forms, waiting for public notices, physical inspections, multiple approvals, and several rounds of compliance checks by various officials.
The reforms aim to make the process more efficient, reducing opportunities for corruption and lowering the cost of land registration.
Ms. Dorcas Okalanyi, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, emphasised that the streamlined process would help curb corruption by minimising face-to-face interactions between clients and land officers.
“This change will not only save time and money but will also reduce the opportunities for corrupt practices,” she noted.
Experts and land rights advocates have welcomed the reforms. Elias Nalukoola, a land lawyer, highlighted how the lengthy previous process created opportunities for bribes.
“The long procedure was a basis for demanding and receiving bribes, as applicants were often told it would take months to complete the process unless they paid a bribe to expedite it,” Nalukoola said.
Frances Birungi, Executive Director of the Uganda Community-Based Association for Women and Children Welfare (UCOBAC), also supported the reforms, stressing that affordable land registration is crucial for the security of tenure and investment.
“Land registration should be accessible to all, as it strengthens people’s ability to stay on and invest in their land,” Birungi stated.
However, some concerns remain. Dr. Theresa Auma, Executive Director of the Land and Equity Movement in Uganda (LEMU), cautioned that the reforms might not address deeper issues of public trust.
“Uganda has been promoting land registration since 1900, but over 70 percent of land remains unregistered,” Auma explained. “The slow pace of registration is not just about high costs or lengthy steps but also about a lack of trust in the process.”
Auma pointed out that many communities, particularly those holding land under customary tenure, are wary of land registration, viewing it as a potential avenue for land grabbing.
“Land registration often facilitates the individualisation of land, which conflicts with the communal or family-based land ownership practiced by many communities,” she added.
The land registration reforms are part of a broader government effort to modernise land management in Uganda. The four-tenure land systems—Mailo, Freehold, Leasehold, and Customary—will all be subject to the new streamlined process.
Mailo tenure, common in Buganda, involves land with dual ownership: the landlord who holds final rights and a bona fide occupant (Kibanja holder) who resides on the land but pays annual rent.
Freehold tenure grants ownership for life to the individual registered on the title, while Leasehold tenure allows for exclusive possession of land for a specified period in exchange for rent.
Customary tenure is based on the traditions and norms of specific communities, primarily in northern and eastern Uganda.
To ensure the success of the reforms, the Ministry of Lands is considering revisions to the Land Act, 1998, and the 2013 Land Policy to provide legal backing for the new procedures.
The Ministry has also drawn lessons from a benchmarking study of the Georgian land registration model, which influenced the development of the new steps.
The reforms are expected to address issues beyond just speeding up the registration process. Ms. Birungi of UCOBAC noted that land registration plays a critical role in the country’s development, as outlined in Uganda’s National Development Plan.
“Infrastructure development and investment are key, but it’s equally important that citizens can enjoy their land rights,” she said.
However, Birungi also highlighted the challenges of relying on donor funding for ongoing land registration processes.
“Many of the current registration efforts are supported by development partners and donors like GIZ, the World Bank, and UN-Habitat. This funding is not sustainable in the long term, so we need to ensure that these processes can continue beyond donor support,” she emphasised.
Alozius Gonza, President of the Institution of Surveyors, welcomed the government’s commitment to implementing the National Land Information System as part of the reforms.
“By digitising the submission and review process for surveyors, we can reduce costs and improve efficiency. Surveyors will be able to submit their work digitally and receive feedback without having to travel to Ministry Zonal Offices, which currently adds to the cost borne by clients,” Gonza explained.
Despite the optimism surrounding the reforms, some experts believe that more needs to be done to build public trust and ensure that all Ugandans benefit from the changes.
Dr. Auma of LEMU pointed out that the perception of land registration as a potential threat rather than a benefit has led to community resistance in some areas.
“In places like Kamuda in Soroti District, there have been hostilities towards government surveyors, fueled by fears of land grabbing,” she said.
Auma also raised concerns about the individualisation of land ownership through registration, which she argued could lead to conflicts within communities that traditionally hold land collectively.
“When land is registered in the name of one individual, it can create disputes within families and clans over whose name should be on the title. This has the potential to halt the registration process altogether,” she warned.
The registration of women’s land rights remains another contentious issue. In many communities, particularly those practicing customary tenure, there is a belief that women should not own land. This cultural barrier presents a significant challenge to achieving gender equality in land ownership.
The government’s decision to reduce the land registration steps is part of a broader effort to improve land management in Uganda, a country where land issues have historically been a source of conflict.
The reforms aim to make land registration more accessible, efficient, and affordable, thereby reducing opportunities for corruption and increasing the percentage of registered land.
The new land registration steps being piloted by the Ministry of Lands are as follows:
1.Data Collection and Surveying:
This step involves gathering all necessary data about the land, including its boundaries and current use. A surveyor will be responsible for mapping the land and ensuring that all details are accurate.
2. District Land Board and Physical Planning Approvals:
The District Land Board will review the application and ensure that the proposed land use complies with local physical planning regulations. This step is crucial for obtaining the necessary approvals to proceed with the registration.
3. Data Processing:
Once the application has been approved, the collected data will be processed. This step involves entering the information into the National Land Information System and preparing the necessary documentation for issuing the land title.
4. Issuance of Certificates of Title/Ownership:
The final step is the issuance of the land title or certificate of ownership. This document officially recognises the applicant as the rightful owner of the land.
The previous land registration process involved 27 steps, including picking up application forms, paying fees, submitting documents to various committees, undergoing multiple inspections, and waiting for numerous approvals.
The new process is designed to eliminate unnecessary steps and reduce the time and cost associated with land registration.
As the reforms are implemented, the Ministry of Lands will continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure that the new process is transparent, efficient, and accessible to all Ugandans.
The goal is to increase the percentage of registered land, reduce the incidence of illegal evictions, and improve tenure security across the country.
In addition to simplifying the registration process, the Ministry is also working to raise public awareness about the importance of land registration.
Sensitisation campaigns are being conducted, particularly targeting Bibanja holders, who are often vulnerable to illegal evictions.
Land registration in Uganda has long been a complex and costly process, but the government’s recent reforms represent a significant step towards making it more accessible and efficient.
By reducing the number of steps required to obtain a land title, the Ministry of Lands hopes to encourage more Ugandans to register their land, thereby improving tenure security and supporting the country’s development goals.
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