MBARARA CITY, February 18, 2025 – The Government of Uganda has issued 3,052 freehold land titles to residents in the Ankole Subregion, granting them full ownership of their land.
The titles were distributed on Monday under the Systematic Land Adjudication and Certification (SLAAC) project, a presidential initiative launched in 2018 as part of a strategy to assist landowners in registering their land, thereby reducing land conflicts in the region, which is one of the fastest-growing in the country.
“On behalf of the Government of Uganda, allow me once again to be part of this ceremony as we distribute 3,052 land titles to the beneficiaries of SLAAC,” explained Judith Nabakooba, the Minister for Lands.
The beneficiaries of the land titles include locals from the districts of Rwampara, Mbarara, Kiruhura, and Ibanda. “On behalf of the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development, it is my great honour to hand over certificates of title to families from the Ankole Subregion, covering the districts of Rwampara, Mbarara, Kiruhura, and Ibanda,” she said.
Nabakooba highlighted that much of the land in Ankole is not yet registered and urged locals to embrace land title registration to attract investment.
“I was interacting with officers from this zone, and they informed me that much of your land in this region remains unregistered, making it vulnerable and less attractive to investors. We encourage other communities, districts, and subcounties where this project has not yet reached to begin the process of registering their land titles,” Nabakooba added.
However, the Minister cautioned beneficiaries against using their land titles as collateral for loans from banks or moneylenders. “Don’t get a title today and rush to the bank or a moneylender for a loan. These lenders target unsuspecting individuals, and with the excitement of receiving a title, you could end up losing your land,” she advised.
Nabakooba also encouraged the people of Ankole Subregion to utilise their land for wealth creation programmes. “Most wealth creation projects are carried out on land. If these programmes are to succeed and be more productive, we must ensure our land is secure,” she said.
She further urged the people of Ankole to avoid land fragmentation. “In the Kigezi region, we observed land fragmentation. We want to urge the people of Ankole to avoid subdividing your land,” she remarked. “As the Ministry of Lands, we are encouraging people to register their land and property under trustees, ensuring that family land remains intact, valuable, and usable by future generations.”
According to Nabakooba, the introduction of the Land Information System has decentralised the registration process, enabling the government to generate 350 billion Shillings from land registration services over the past seven years nationwide.
“The Land Information System has an online portal that makes it easy for citizens to check the status of their land. It also speeds up the processing of land titles,” Nabakooba noted. “You may recall that before the system was introduced, it could take years to process a title. Now, we aim to reduce that to just a few days.”
Leaders Urged to Protect Wetlands
Nabakooba challenged local leaders to properly capture the coordinates of wetlands for registration to protect them from encroachment. “We have several wetlands in this region, so let us work with district and city staff surveyors, along with NEMA [National Environment Management Authority] and the Ministry of Lands, to ensure the data and coordinates of these wetlands are properly recorded and integrated into the Land Information System,” she said. She added that if the coordinates for wetlands are captured, no land titles will be issued within wetlands, forests, or other protected areas.
On his part, Robert Rukari, Member of Parliament for Mbarara City North, called on government to resolve the political tension between the districts and the newly created cities to unlock development, which has been stagnating due to conflicts between these two local government entities.
The MP condemned local leaders in Mbarara City and Mbarara district, saying they had failed to reach an agreement on property sharing, which has hindered developments such as the redevelopment of Kakyeka Stadium, which is currently in a poor state. Mbarara City, formally Mbarara Municipality, was carved out of Mbarara District but the two have been involved in a dispute over ownership of the stadium.
MP Rukari further appealed to Minister Nabakooba to address the plight of 114 families in Rwenjeru Cell, Biharwe Ward, Mbarara City, who have frequently faced eviction threats from landowners seeking compensation, despite government efforts to resolve the issue. “If you can expedite this matter and help us resolve it in the next two weeks, we would be grateful. We need to find a lasting solution before this issue becomes further politicised,” he concluded.
https://thecooperator.news/securing-land-mbarara-locals-receive-land-titles-from-government/
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