Govt earmarks Shs32b for land mapping

The government has earmarked Shs32 billion to facilitate the process of mapping and processing certificates of land for occupancy to check escalating cases of land.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr Dennis Obbo, said the exercise will be piloted in 35 districts including Soroti and Katakwi.

Mr Obbo revealed this during the closure of the Responsible Land Policy in Uganda (RELAPU) project held at Asuret Sub-county headquarters, Soroti, last Thursday.

The RELAPU project was part of the One World, No Hunger special initiative of the German Federal ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) that was launched in September 2016 in Teso Sub-region, in partnership with the Ministry of Lands to reduce extreme poverty and hunger.

Purpose

The main objective of the project was to improve access to land by marginalised groups, especially women in central, northern and eastern Uganda.

 “The government through the Ministry of Lands has secured Shs32 billion to continue with activities of mapping and processing certificates of land of occupancy in 35 districts across the country, a move aimed at resolving increasing land grabbing and conflicts, in addition to promoting land use management,” Mr Obbo said.

The team leader for GIZ- RELAPU project, Ms Christine Keller, said since 2016, the initiative has implemented its dream in five sub-counties of Soroti and Katakwi with more than 12,000 land parcels mapped, 3,412 certificates of customary ownership processed and built capacities for different stakeholders.

The chairperson of Soroti, Mr Simon Peter Ekuu, said land mapping has helped people to know the boundaries of their customary land.

Mr Ekuu commended the government and the GIZ -RELAPU project for minimising land conflicts in Soroti.

Beneficiaries

     Since its inception in 2016, the project has documented, processed and handed over 8,000 customary land certificates of occupancy to beneficiaries.

     During the closing ceremony of the project, more than 5,000 people in districts of Katakwi and Soroti received certificates of customary land ownership. 

  Ms Mary Apio, who was among the beneficiaries from Asuret  Sub-county in Soroti, said the demarcating of their customary land has helped to reduce land-related conflicts among her clan members.             “I am excited to be among the pioneers who received the certificates of customary ownership land. Many of my relatives have been fighting over our land boundaries, which has been sorted out with the government initiative of mapping our land,” she said.

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