The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, together with the Uganda Land Commission, has launched an exercise to identify, verify and document government-owned land in 17 districts across southern Buganda.
The initiative is aimed at protecting public land from illegal transactions, land grabbing and fraudulent ownership claims while preserving it for future government investments.
The exercise will cover the Greater Masaka, Greater Mpigi and Greater Mubende regions, which have experienced disputes and concerns over the management of government land.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting with district leaders in Masaka City, Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba said the ministry had uncovered cases in which public land was allegedly processed and titled by officials.
She said the government has suspended the processing of special certificates of title on disputed public land to allow authorities to review the procedures governing their issuance.
“I have stopped the processing of special certificates of title. Let us give ourselves time to review and examine the correct procedures that must be followed before a title is issued,” Nabakooba said.
The minister warned district land board members and other officials against facilitating the illegal acquisition of government land, saying those found involved would face disciplinary action.
She said public land that may currently appear unused should not be considered idle because it could be required for future development projects.
“This land must be preserved for generations to come so that government can invest in it by putting up schools, hospitals, industries and other facilities,” she said.
Nabakooba also revealed that the ministry had identified several land titles issued on forest reserves.
She said the affected properties would be subjected to review and the irregular titles cancelled.
According to the minister, caveats have been placed on the affected land to prevent further transactions as investigations and cancellation procedures continue.
She explained that ministry officials would work with district land boards to review records and minutes through which the forest land was allegedly allocated before the Commissioner for Land Registration takes further action.
The ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary, Emmanuel Mugunga, attributed some of the land problems to alleged collusion between land officials and private brokers seeking to acquire public property.
Mugunga warned that officials found participating in such activities could lose their jobs.
Uganda Land Commission Commissioner Tom John Fisher Kasenge called for stronger cooperation between district leaders, land boards and other institutions responsible for land management.
He urged local authorities to help identify public land and promptly report attempts to illegally transact in it.
Greater Masaka has experienced longstanding disputes involving government land, particularly in Masaka, Sembabule and Rakai districts.
Masaka City Mayor Florence Namayanja welcomed the inventory exercise, saying it could help clarify the ownership and history of disputed government properties in the city.
She said local leaders had on several occasions been presented with land transactions and development projects whose origins were unclear.
Namayanja cited the Children’s Park as one of the cases requiring clarification, saying the inventory could help establish how the property was allocated and by whom.
The government says the inventory will provide a reliable record of public land, strengthen its protection against illegal acquisition and ensure that land reserved for future public investments remains available for development.
