Government Launches Project to Register Customary Land in West Nile Region.

The Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, in partnership with the European Union and the United Nations Capacity Development Fund, is implementing a critical project to register customary land and issue certificates of Customary ownership to families and clans in the West Nile region.

This was revealed during President Museveni’s visit in west Nile region on April 13^th where he handed over 10 land titles to families  from Maracha and a clan from Koboko, in Arua.

This initiative is in line with the government's pledge to provide customary landowners with documents that prove ownership of their land. The project has already benefited families and clans in Maracha, Terego, Adjumani, Nebbi, and Koboko, and is expected to cover other regions in the country, with a support of UGX 32 billion.

According to the Minister of State for Urban Development Hon. Obiga Kania, this intervention is crucial in securing customary ownership rights and the Private Sector Development Program (PDM) investments of customary landowners countrywide.

The initiative has received a positive response from the District Land Management Institutions of the West Nile region, and the Ministry is encouraging more families and clans to embrace this government intervention to end land conflicts in the post PDM period.

In Maracha, 1,440 certificates of customary ownership have been processed, with an average parcel size per household of 2.4 acres. Koboko has a consolidated Clan title under the Communal Land Association for the Panyume in Ludara sub-county, benefiting over 7,000 beneficiaries with an acreage of 5,252 acres. The beneficiaries will require guidance on what high-value crops to grow in order to transform their families and clan members economically.

At a symbolic handover ceremony by President Museve, 11 beneficiaries from the West Nile region received their certificates of customary ownership, with the rest to receive theirs from sub-counties. They include;

Koboko District
1. Munduga Ismail and Mrs Anjuko Zainabu (2 Elders representing the Panyume Clan).

Maracha District
1. Olega
2. Ezaru Margate
3. Kilo David
4. Wadri Peter
5. Draferu Janet
6. Opini Markson
7. Ezaru Betty
8. Oneti Batia Samuel
9. Madira Vicky