Joy In Kamwenge As Residents Receive Freehold Titles

Excitement engulfed residents of Kamwenge District as the Ministry of Lands issued free hold land titles to over 700 residents in the district to secure their tenancy.
The exercise that was presided over by the lands Ministry boss, Judith Nabakooba as the guest of honour, was held on April 30 at Rwamwanja stadium in Nkoma-Katalyeba Town Council, Kamwenge District.
Nabakooba urged landlords to guard their titles, desist from land fragmentation and also stay away from selling their land to foreigners and refugees.

 “It was realised that communities bordering refugee settlements and in refugee hosting communities, residents are ignorant and increasingly losing out security on their land,” Nabakooba said.
She urged the beneficiaries to utilize the titles well by engaging in several government projects to have financial empowerment and fight poverty.

The event was also graced by different dignitaries including Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries who doubles as the Member of Parliament representing Kibale County.

Tumwebaze lauded the President for ensuring land tenure security to the residents of Kamwenge through the Ministry of Lands.
“We thank our president for not only loving us but also ensuring our locals have full ownership of their land. Let us utilize the titles well to transform our lives through commercial agriculture,” he rallied the excited locals during the issuance exercise.
The land titles were processed through USMID’s Security of Tenure Component under the Systematic Land Adjudication and Certification (SLAC) program.

This is intended to provide land tenure security and revive land rights for landlords.  
According to the Land Act, foreigners are not allowed to hold land in the customary, Mailo, and Freehold tenures and also curtail them from selling land to them

However, it does not completely stop them from having land to develop it.
“Land owners can enter into a lease agreement with foreigners in terms of premium, paying nominal ground rent, and the period for which the land is leased,” the law stipulates.

Once one receives a title, they have full control over it and can thus use the authority to empower themselves economically by accessing credit from various financial institutions.
Through the SLAC program, 1208 parcels were mapped to receive the titles and a number of files are still undergoing remedial action.
These will be forwarded to the ministerial zonal office in Fort Portal for subsequent processing.
“I wish to urge my ministry team to expedite the remedial actions and have the certificates processed as soon as possible,” Nabakooba said.