Double titling of land rampant, says official

Several land owners may lose it to other parties in an ongoing scam involving double titling of land in the country, the senior registrar of titles in the ministry of Lands has said.

Ms Reula Ataro Bogere yesterday told the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters, which is investigating allegations of double titling of land in Namavundu, Kasangati Town Council in Wakiso District, that many such cases are on the rise.
“My lord, we receive many cases of double titling of land and this affects mainly old titles because they are not on the land information system,” Ms Ataro said in response to a query by Commissioner Mary Oduka Ochan.
The registrar advised that government carries out a land audit in the country.

This was after she admitted creating the special title for the Namavundu land located on Block 185, Plot 1131 in the names of Peninah Karenge Busigye while she was Wakiso District land registrar in 2016.

The existence of the special title came to light after Ms Karenge together with her daughter, Ms Natasha Karenge, forcibly fenced off the land claimed by Mr Stanley Lwanga, who also holds another title.

Mr Lwanga, a retired accountant with the Ministry of Health, is one of the 161 households in Namavundu, including Auditor General, Mr John Muwanga, who face eviction by Ms Karenge.
“My lord, I did not know the magnitude of the problem but now I realise there was a problem,” Ms Ataro said.

She acknowledged that when she received an application for a special title, she did not advertise in the newspapers to establish whether or not there were people with interest on the land.

Though Ms Ataro said an advert had been issued, she failed to show the evidence on file.
Records before the Commission show that the special title was issued only nine days after the application was submitted at Wakiso land office.

Though the law requires that the special title is issued in the original names, this particular title was in the names of Ms Natasha Karenge.

The Commission also faulted Ms Ataro for allowing Ms Natasha to undervalue the Namavundu land at Shs30m, fetching a stamp duty of Shs300,000. Last week, Ms Natasha Karenge told the Commission that she bought the land from Mr Josephus Rufus Bisase Kisosonkole and the late Tempura Bisase Kisosonkole, both sons of the late Kupuriano Bisase Kisosonkole, at Shs4.77b. Mr Rufus testified before the Commission last week, denying selling land to Ms Karenge.

Asked as to what happens when procedure is not followed to issue a title, Ms Ataro said the special title is deemed illegal and must be recalled and cancelled.