By Aggrey Baba
The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has issued over 57,000 freehold land titles to residents across six districts, in a renewed push to formalise land ownership and reduce disputes related to undocumented land.
The titles were distributed on Monday during a handover function in Bukedea under the government’s Systematic Land Adjudication and Certification (SLAAC) programme.
The titles issued so far cover beneficiaries from Maracha (20,478), Ntungamo (8,231), Kassanda (1,906), Kikuube (1,418), Luuka (488) and Bukedea, among others. Ministry officials dispatched the titles through zonal land offices to ensure they reach verified landowners in their respective districts.
According to Hon. Judith Nabakooba, the Minister for Lands, this phase is just a portion of the broader plan to process 300,000 land titles under SLAAC. She said that the programme targets rural and marginalised communities, ensuring that every Ugandan (regardless of wealth or status) has the opportunity to secure legal proof of land ownership.
The former Mityana District woman MP pointed out that in areas where land has traditionally been held under customary tenure, formal registration has remained low, leaving many Ugandans without documents to defend their ownership. Nabakooba noted that the SLAAC programme is highly subsidised and designed to bridge this gap by enabling citizens to obtain freehold titles at minimal or no cost.
She explained that ordinarily, one would need between UGX 500,000 and UGX 1 million to process a freehold title privately. But under this government initiative, most of the costs are covered by the state, lifting the burden from ordinary citizens.
The minister also urged landowners to embrace the programme once it reaches their area, saying it will help prevent evictions and reduce land wrangles, emphasizing that citizens need to take keen interest in how to protect and manage their land once registered, adding that land titles are not just documents but tools for long-term security and development.
Richard Juuko, the Secretary for Lands, clarified that since the programme’s rollout in 2017, it has so far been implemented in 19 districts, and the goal is to expand it steadily across the country. He confirmed that district officials and zonal land offices have been tasked with delivering the titles to the rightful owners without delay.
Juuko added that the zonal officers who received the titles during the handover are expected to work hand in hand with local government leaders and parish committees to ensure the exercise is completed efficiently and transparently.
Meanwhile, Johnson Bagiira, the Acting Commissioner for Surveys and Mapping, highlighted the urgency of the programme by revealing that only 25.8% of land in Uganda is currently registered, noting that the lack of formal documentation continues to affect land planning, investment, and long-term use in both urban and rural areas.
Bagiira expressed optimism that the SLAAC approach (combining local knowledge with formal surveying and adjudication) will steadily increase the proportion of registered land nationwide.
Under the programme, surveyors work with community members, local leaders and technical teams to verify ownership of each piece of land. Once agreed upon, the boundaries are recorded, and the land is processed into a formal freehold title in the name of the identified owner.
The Ministry of Lands says it is committed to ensuring that all Ugandans, including vulnerable groups such as widows, youth, and persons with disabilities, benefit from the exercise, calling upon political leaders at all levels to mobilise their communities and support the programme when it is rolled out in their regions.
Government believes that widespread land registration will not only reduce conflicts and prevent illegal evictions, but also unlock economic value from land. Once documented, landowners can use titles to access financial loans, invest in agriculture or construction, and safely pass land to future generations.
As more districts are lined up to benefit, the Ministry is encouraging citizens to remain alert, cooperate with the technical teams on the ground, and take full advantage of this opportunity to secure their land.
