Members of Parliament have called for sweeping reforms in land administration, including the full operationalisation of the National Land Information System (NLIS), stronger supervision of land offices and accountability for officials involved in fraudulent land transactions.
The proposed reforms are aimed at addressing persistent cases of double, multiple and overlapping land titles, protecting property rights and restoring public confidence in the country’s land administration system.
The recommendations are contained in a report by the Committee on Lands following an oversight visit to six Ministry of Lands zonal offices in Mukono, Wakiso, Masaka, Jinja, Mbale and Soroti to assess the performance of land administration systems and establish the challenges contributing to fraudulent land titling.
Presenting the report to Parliament on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, committee chairperson Hon. Edson Rugumayo attributed the issuance of multiple and overlapping titles largely to failure by land officers to exercise due diligence in processing land transactions.
The committee cited the case of Henley Property Developers Limited versus the Attorney General, in which a mailo certificate of title was erroneously issued to the developers before being cancelled by the registrar, prompting the company to sue the Government for compensation.
“Court held in favour of Henley Property Developers Limited and granted it Shs50 billion as compensation for the market value of the land. This compensation was upheld by the Supreme Court, which faulted the land registry for committing a grave administration error of double registration,” the report stated.
To address the problem, the committee recommended a comprehensive clean-up of land records, investigation and prosecution of individuals involved in land fraud, as well as improved staffing and infrastructure at ministry zonal offices.
In a separate report examining the Lands Minister’s suspension of the issuance of Special Certificates of Title, the committee found that the ministry had not provided sufficient evidence to justify a nationwide suspension.
The suspension, according to the committee, inconvenienced genuine applicants, including landowners whose titles had been lost or damaged and individuals seeking titles pursuant to lawful court orders.
“Although the minister’s intentions were well-meaning, the suspension was not in accordance with the law and disrupted land transactions, access to credit, investment and government revenue,” Rugumayo said.
During debate on the reports, MPs proposed additional measures to strengthen verification procedures and hold public officials accountable for irregularities in land registration.
Hon. Eliab Naturinda (NRM, Ndorwa County West) called for the involvement of local council leaders in land title processing, arguing that their participation would help prevent fraudulent transactions and disputes.
He backed the committee’s recommendation requiring registrars of land titles, land surveyors and land officers to conduct boundary opening exercises before processing title applications.
“When you send valuers or surveyors on the site to issue a special certificate of title and you do not visit local council leaders, you are creating another problem. I recommend that these leaders should be involved in land processing,” Naturinda said.
Hon. George Musisi (NUP, Kira Municipality) also proposed involving neighbouring landowners in the verification process to establish the authenticity of ownership before certificates of title are issued.
Kyankwanzi District Woman Representative Hon. Ann Nankabirwa raised concerns over the alleged fraudulent conversion of land titles from Kabaka’s land into freehold titles, urging the Ministry of Lands to investigate the practice.
She cited the case of Wamala Growers Cooperative Union, which encountered difficulties renewing its lease after discovering that the relevant land file had allegedly been converted into freehold.
“When government returned Kabaka’s land titles, the condition was that people with leases on the land would be considered for renewal. When Wamala Growers Cooperative Union pursued a lease renewal, some of the titles could not be found until we discovered that the file had been converted into freehold,” Nankabirwa said.
Hon. Boniface Okot (NRM, Kole South County) called for amendments to the law to make land officers personally accountable for errors committed in the issuance of certificates of title, arguing that taxpayers should not continue bearing the financial burden of administrative negligence.
He proposed amending Section 159 of the Registration of Titles Act to ensure that officers found culpable in fraudulent or erroneous registration are held responsible.
“There is need for this House to amend Section 159 of the Registration of Titles Act, so that the land officer who is culpable in this matter, bears the burden of the mistake,” Okot said.
Section 159 of the Act provides protection from legal action for the Registrar of Titles and persons acting under the registrar’s authority for acts or omissions done in good faith in the exercise, or purported exercise, of powers and duties under the law.
Meanwhile, Hon. Gyaviira Lubowa (NUP, Nyendo-Mukungwe Division) expressed concern that some land offices were still operating manual systems, calling for the full integration of the National Land Information System to minimise loopholes that facilitate fraudulent issuance of titles.
In his guidance, the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Marksons Oboth, directed the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to consider offering permanent employment to land officers currently serving on contract terms.
He said improving the employment terms of land officers would promote integrity, stability and accountability in land administration.
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