By Ben Musanje
The Government has issued new guidelines to tighten the management of land disputes in Uganda, banning the deployment of hired goons and self-defense groups while requiring security agencies and other stakeholders to coordinate their interventions through established structures.
The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, in Circular No. 1 of 2026, said the measures were necessary because of the increasing incidence of land disputes and related crime, which it said posed risks to national security, investment, public order and social stability.
Issuing a circular in a press conference at Media Center in Kampala on Thursday, Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba, establishes a coordinated framework for managing land disputes involving government agencies, local authorities, security agencies, surveyors and other stakeholders.
It covers disputes before courts, those handled by ministries and local authorities, court-sanctioned evictions and demolitions, investigations, surveys, locus visits and security operations connected to land conflicts.
Under the new guidelines, a person seeking redress from the Ministry must demonstrate a verifiable legal or equitable interest in the land or be a duly appointed legal representative.
The Ministry will also establish a Dispute Resolution Desk to coordinate land dispute interventions and determine whether a complaint has previously been handled by another mandated agency before referring it to the appropriate institution.
The circular requires agencies handling land disputes to work within defined terms of reference and submit their findings and recommendations to the Minister through the relevant District Security Committee.
At district and city level, intervention in land disputes will be restricted to the District Security Committee acting collectively, rather than individual members exercising separate authority.
Nabakooba has also prohibited uncoordinated security deployments in connection with land disputes. Any deployment must be authorised, recorded and coordinated through the established security command and the relevant District or City Security Committee.
The guidelines further direct that security guards should not participate in land disputes. Their role is limited to protecting undisputed land and property.
“Only a neutral government force shall be deployed” in cases involving land disputes, according to the circular, in line with the President’s directives.
The Ministry has also expressly banned the deployment of hired goons, commonly known as Kanyamas, and self-defence groups in land disputes.
District committees have been directed to apprehend and prosecute individuals involved in such activities when reports are received.
The circular also bans self-appointed representatives who claim authority to handle land disputes, citing concerns that some have been collecting unauthorised consultation fees and travel expenses.
The new guidelines impose strict conditions on evictions and demolitions, stating that these can only be carried out pursuant to a lawful and verifiable court order issued through due process and after compliance with constitutional, statutory and procedural safeguards.
Security agencies and district authorities may facilitate the enforcement of court orders and maintain public order, but they are prohibited from reviewing, delaying, frustrating or altering judicial orders.
Nabakooba has also introduced controls on surveys involving disputed land.
Government and private surveyors must obtain prior notification and clearance before conducting surveys connected to disputed parcels, with the relevant District Security Committee fully involved.
Surveyors are prohibited from mobilising residents, establishing camps, mediating disputes, opening boundaries or carrying out subdivisions in ways that could confuse, dispossess or prejudice occupants outside a lawful and coordinated process.
All survey activities must be traceable, with records showing the surveyor’s identity and registration details, the instructing party, the affected land, date of attendance and work performed.
The circular warns that surveyors or other persons who facilitate land grabbing, fraudulent subdivision, unlawful sales or dispossession will be reported to professional, investigative and prosecutorial authorities.
Investigations assigned by the Minister must be completed within three months unless an extension is granted in writing. An agency unable to undertake an assignment must return it to the Minister within two weeks, giving reasons.
The Minister will also convene stakeholder meetings at least once every three months, with participating agencies required to report on the number and nature of disputes handled, findings, actions taken and recommendations.
The guidelines further regulate locus visits, requiring Ministerial approval or clearance by the District Security Committee for visits connected to land disputes, except those expressly sanctioned by a competent court.
The Ministry will maintain a central official record of reports and information arising from land dispute interventions, while information supplied under the circular will generally be treated as confidential.
In cases where a land dispute requires protection of the property while an inquiry is ongoing, the Minister or an authorised officer may request the Commissioner for Land Registration to consider lodging a Commissioner’s caveat in accordance with the law.
The circular also seeks to curb “forum shopping”, prohibiting a person who has lodged a dispute with one designated agency from submitting the same matter to another agency unless authorised or required by law.
The designated agencies include the Ministry of Lands, Inspectorate of Government, Police Land Protection Unit, State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Presidential Taskforce on Land Matters and Environment, State House Land Desk, Office of the President-RDCs and Local Council I.
The Government has further warned against bribery, influence-peddling, solicitation, abuse of office and receipt of unauthorised benefits during the management of land disputes.
“All interventions undertaken under this Circular shall be documented and capable of verification,” the Ministry said, stressing that responsible persons and agencies must be accountable for their actions and omissions.
The guidelines take immediate effect and require Permanent Secretaries, heads of agencies, RDCs and RCCs, and chairpersons of District and City Security Committees to ensure their dissemination and implementation.
The circular also directs the Administrator General’s Office to conduct due diligence when administering properties of deceased persons to ensure that such properties are not already subject to competing interests, existing tenancy or title claims.
The measures come against the backdrop of persistent land conflicts in Uganda, which have frequently involved competing ownership claims, illegal evictions, fraudulent transactions, boundary disputes and allegations of abuse of authority.
