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Several Acholi clans get communal land ownership certificates
Mr Robert Opio (R), the commissioner for Land Registration hands over a certificate to one of the clan heads in Nwoya District. PHOTO BY POLYCAP KALOKWERA
AGAGO- Dozens of people in Agago District have received certificates of customary (communal) land ownership.
The certificates were given to chairpersons of various clans. The clan heads are custodians of the land and govern under a constitution.
The plan, according to Mr Robert Opio, the commissioner for Land Registration is geared towards curbing land disputes in the region.
“The Land Act 1998 recognises four categories of land tenure systems, including customary, freehold, mailo and leasehold. It states that all Uganda citizens owning land under customary tenure may acquire a certificate of ownership in a manner prescribed by Parliament,” Mr Opio said.
Mr Opio said that the certification of customary land will empower people to negotiate with the government and investors for a fair compensation in case of any development project.
“Government has often had challenges in acquiring land for development simply because the rightful owners of land are not known and a number of project have failed to take off,” he said. “Certification will help solve that the moment community embrace it.”
He said that certification of communal land would give land owners a sense of self-sufficiency and independence and allow them to bequeath their property as they may wish.
“The title also gives security of tenure and allows women be accorded the right to land ownership or have a say in any land dealing,” he said.
Mr Labeja Okot, the chairperson of Alokolum Clan said he feels great relief because managing communal land had become problematic.
“We hardly spend a week without handling a land conflict in our community and it’s a problem that cuts across Acholi sub-region. We didn’t want to embrace the registration thinking it was useless,” Mr Okot said.
He said that the programme of certifying communal land would solve the problem of resettling people who were driven from their land to Internally Displaced Peoples camps during the Lord’s Resistance Movement insurgency.
Mr David Olwoch Ocii, the head of Lwala Kare clan said they had failed to secure a certificate for their communal land since 2010 due to inadequate knowledge about the process and lack of willingness by some clan members.
“Our land does not depreciate in value. We can pass it on to generations. We are extremely happy that now we have the certificate,” Mr Olwoch said.
Ms Ms Lillian Achola, the LANDnet programme officer said some community members feared to embrace the project.
“Many thought the government was planning to take their land given the fact there was debate about land,” she said.
