Govt launches digital portal to access lands services

In a bid to ease access to land services remotely, the government, through the Ministry of Lands, has unveiled an online land information search portal to be rolled out countrywide.

The launch of the e-land services ceremony was officiated by State Minister for Lands Sam Mayanja at Wakiso Ministerial Zonal office on October 2. 

Speaking at the event, Mr Mayanja said the government will use the portal to easily identify the rightful landowners so as to reduce land conflicts in the country.

He noted that the portal will help government to track information on land such as multiple titling, placing caveats and transactions.

“Registered users shall have fast access to accurate information on the ownership, encumbrances, and location of land,” he said, noting that the exercise will limit interfacing with the Lands ministry officials, a process that will eliminate the corruption tendencies that have been reported widely.

“We will be able to respond to land information requests instantly and also achieve transparency and good land governance,” he added.

At Shs10,000, a person will be able to use a smartphone through a web browser or a mobile application, to authenticate the identity of the owner of the property.

A smartphone user will only require an Internet connection to be able to get access to land information from anywhere in the world.

“The web users shall be required to register in a very simple and automatic way,” Mr Mayanja explained.

There have been several complaints against land brokers and some corrupt ministry officials, who have been accused of charging exorbitantly for one to access land services.

Among other benefits, officials say the online land services shall also eliminate delays in providing land-related information for decision-making.

“We believe this is going to be a game-changer, especially when it comes to land conflicts because you will be able to get details of the land before making any transactions,” the minister said.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Ms Dorcas Okalany, said the portal will help members of the public to easily search for property information, parcel details, track transactions, and for the first time, submit their valuation online.

This will save time and travel expenses since there will be no need to travel long distances to get these services physically in regional zonal offices.

“This digitisation will wipe out fraud, which had plagued the ministry for several years,” she said, noting that during the two-month pilot study of the project, at least 4,500 accounts have been registered.

“This means our people are interested in getting onto the land information system, and we have generated Shs15 million in this short time,” she added.

She asked the public to embrace the programme, promising a modern, efficient, and customer-friendly approach to managing land matters.

In the same vein, the ministry plans to innovate a corporate portal to deal with real estate agencies, banks, and advocates to be able to submit mortgages online.

Mr Lenin Victor Oonyu, the project manager of National Land Information System, said the system is going to curb the outflow of revenue.

“We used to face a big challenge as government in regards to how we validate any payment, for instance stamp duty.

In the old system, someone would come with a receipt from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), and there would be no way to validate such payments.

“We have been able to integrate with URA and we have closed leakages in regards to revenue,” he said.

Other agencies integrated into the system include the National Building Review Board and Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB).