Cabinet to discuss land reforms

Cabinet will discuss a detailed white paper containing land reforms drafted by an inter-ministerial committee.

The committee led by Gen Moses Ali, the first deputy Prime Minister, includes Lands minister Judith Nabakooba and Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka.

President Museveni set up the committee in 2021 to study the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters. The commission that was led by Justice Catherine Bamugemeire conducted countrywide consultations into land matters between 2017 and 2020.

The commission came up with several recommendations, which prompted the creation of the inter-ministerial committee.

Ms Nabakooba yesterday said the committee finished studying the land commission report and came up with fresh recommendations which they are ready to present to Cabinet.

“We took them to the Cabinet Secretariat, and we are now waiting for the opportunity when it will be put on the Agenda and be discussed by Cabinet,” Ms Nabakooba told Monitor yesterday.

She did not, however, disclose the recommendations. But she emphasised that “the reforms will help in eliminating land issues that are affecting the country.”

The land probe recommended, among others, registration of all land in Uganda to minimise disputes; enhancing tenure security; creation of avenues for optimal land usage and ultimately result in economic growth, introduction of a customary freehold tenure system; establishment of the Uganda Land Services Bureau (ULSB) after merging of the land administration institutions; and introduction of a tax on idle land.

Others were establishment of land and environmental courts, reinstatement of the district land tribunals; formulation of lands ombudsman in charge of civil and criminal investigative, prosecutorial, injustice institutions; establishment of a national land bank to operate under the ULSB; and establishment of a strong legal framework to check corruption and to protect the rights of the local communities in mineral areas.

Mr Museveni, who received the commission’s report in July 2020, later in August 2021 told lawmakers who belong to the National Resistance Movement party in Kyankwanzi District that the reforms will be turned into laws.

“I think, this report shall help us to dismantle the old and barbaric laws that for long have hard-pressed our people. Please help me to stabilise the situation once and for all,” he said on April 22, 2021.

He added that the report gave thegovernment a soft landing to handle cases of eviction, tackling wetlands management, road reserves provisions when connecting water pipes, laying cables of any kind and electricity installations.

Ahead of the Cabinet discussion, Ms Nabakooba said the government is already undertaking land reforms, especially in Buganda region that has numerous wrangles.

These include massive sensitisation of landlords and tenants; paying off some landlords through the Land Fund; and issuing land titles to communities who are prone to evictions.

“In Greater Mubende, we are giving certificates of occupancy, working together with landlords and planning the formulation of new Land Policy,” Ms Nabakooba said.

In her speech during the 2023 land conference in Kampala yesterday, Ms Nabakooba also said the government intends to carry out several reforms to address land issues.

These include registering land and issuing legal documentation to the 70 percent unregistered owners; mobilise communities and clans to form communal land associations (CLAs); upscale implementation systematic land adjudication, certification; enhance the land  information system; curb illegal land evictions and strengthening alternative dispute resolution mechanisms; strengthening land use planning; and securing land rights of women and other marginalised groups.
Meanwhile, Ms Persis Namuganza, the State Minister for Lands, said the ministry has completed the formulation of 600 CLAs and are now awaiting funds to enable surveying and printing out of titles.
Under the CLAs’ arrangement, the government registered clans and sub clans into associations and issued them land titles [both customary and freehold]. 

These shall be issued in Karamoja, Acholi, Lango, West Nile, Bunyoro and part of Buganda [Kayunga and Mubende].

“We are waiting for funds to finalise it and being a new financial year, we expect finance to release the resources so that we do the actual titling now because the other processes like registration of clans and sub-clans were done,” she said.

Land probe report

The Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters, led by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire recommended, among others, registration of all land in Uganda to minimise disputes; introduction of a customary freehold tenure system and introduction of a tax on idle land.