Locals praise government on land certificates
Officiating. State minister for Lands, Ms Persis Princess Namuganza, hands over a land title under customary land ownership to Ms Rose Atim last Friday in Alero Sub-county, Nwoya District. PHOTO BY TOBBIAS JOLLY OWINY
What you need to know:
- Appeal. The locals have asked government to spread the exercise countrywide to avoid land disputes.
Nwoya. Locals in Nwoya District have applauded government having started receiving the long awaited land certificates under customary land ownership.
Government through ZOA, a non-governmental organisation, has so far secured land certificates to 350 land owners in the district.
One of the beneficiaries, Ms Rose Atim, whose 143 hectares of land has been surveyed and given a land certificate, says the move will put to an end the disputes.
“I had a number of disputes on my land, those in the neighbourhood encroached on it while my sons demanded part of it to be sold. But now that it has been documented, I am very happy about it,” she said.
Mr John Obongo, a resident of Kal Okura village who certified the biggest chunk of land (194 hectares) under the programme, said land registration should be fast spread to other districts to save citizens from wrangles. “There are a lot of land wrangles, not only here but the whole region and I am already impressed that they can be resolved through this exercise,” he said.
While issuing the certificates to the first batch of beneficiaries in Alero Sub-county last Friday, the State minister of Lands, Ms Persis Princess Namuganza, said government is looking forward to making the registration exercise a national project. “Make sure you keep these documents jealously because they will help in solving wrangles and also in court,” she said.
Ms Namuganza also lauded ZOA for its effort towards saving orphans and widows who have always been deprived of their rights to land ownership.
The project manager, land security and development project ZOA, Mr Wilfred Babanga, said the land registration has restored hope among people who now have security over their land.
