Land title issuance to go online

Government through the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has finalised plans to start automation services in effort to reduce the backlog of land wrangles.

Speaking to the media in Kampala yesterday, Lands minister Judith Nabakooba said the system limits face-to-face interaction and improves service delivery.

“The services of automation will include online submission of transactions, searching the status of transactions submitted, parcels, titles and encumbrances like caveats, mortgages and court orders,” she said.

 Ms Nabakooba said there would be systematic demarcations of land to issue freehold titles.

“Through this arrangement, the ministry puts emphasis on the principle of equality, fairness working on a first come, first serve basis for everyone regardless of their political or social status,” she said.

Relevance

The minister said the service has come at a time when the ministry is enrolling the competitiveness enterprise development programme (CEDP AF) where customary land owners who make up 80 percent of the unregistered land are going to have their land registered and placed in the land information system.

“The registration will roll out starting at sub-county level in rural areas and division in urban areas. All land administration institutions including MZOs, sub-county customary and registries Lands Information System, private sector and investors shall all benefit from the capacity building programmes,” she said.

Ms Nabakooba said the ministry is engaging in continuous sensitisation of communities in northern Uganda to ensure customary land registration and so far 1,712 families have submitted applications at the sub-counties.

“So far their land has been demarcated and the process to issue them with Certificate of Customary Ownership is in advanced stages and these districts include Agago (Paimol and Wol sub-counties), Maracha( Kijomoro and Oluvu) Apac (Ibuje and Chegere).

The progress

Ms Nabakooba said government has so far processed more than 19,702 land certificates for families and communities in different regions.

She revealed that the automation service will be supported by the Call Centre number 0800100004, which was launched last year.

Ms Nabakooba said the current law provides for dual ownership of land between the registered owner and bonafide bibanja owners.

“This grey area has been the source of insecurity in many parts of the country leading to loss of lives property and unending misery and the proposed amendment to the Land Act will create more peaceful and harmonious communities with the right conditions for every citizen,” she said.

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