Uganda Government Cracks Down on Land Fraud and Illegal Evictions

The Ugandan government is intensifying efforts to tackle a surge in land-related crimes, including fraud, illegal evictions, and inheritance conflicts, which are damaging investor trust and economic growth.

Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba pointed to culprits like dishonest land agents, estate administrators, document forgeries, absentee landlords, and negligent tenants as key drivers, particularly in urban and peri-urban zones with poor verification systems.

Despite solid laws such as Article 237 of the Constitution and the Land Act, enforcement weaknesses persist. Progress includes digitizing 82% of land services, slashing search times to one day in offices or five minutes online, and cutting transaction processing from 15 to 11 days.

Land demarcation has jumped from 66,148 to 469,656 parcels, with Certificates of Customary Ownership rising from 9,325 to 80,898, aiding dispute resolution in traditional areas.

To stop abuses, Administrative Circular No. 1 of 2025 mandates District Security Committees’ involvement in evictions, limits them to 8am-6pm on weekdays, and requires respect for human rights.

Future plans feature tenant ground rent deposits via Uganda Revenue Authority for absent landlords, blockchain and AI for transactions, and mass titling to settle boundaries. Nabakooba urged Resident District Commissioners to enforce compliance.

Experts like Twaha Ssembalirwa from Atlas Advocates note that while laws are strong, corruption among elites and low awareness in customary lands hinder progress, especially for vulnerable groups facing intimidation.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)