government 27 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Parliament Mandates Jinja Land Office to Clear Backlog in Three Months
The Parliamentary Committee on Land has given the Jinja Ministry Zonal Office (MZO) a strict three-month deadline to resolve a significant backlog of land transactions. This directive comes amidst challenges including understaffing and inadequate infrastructure. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/parliament-gives-jinja-land-office-three-months-to-clear-backlog-5573992
Members of Parliament have issued a stern ultimatum to the Jinja Ministry Zonal Office (MZO), demanding the clearance of thousands of pending land transactions within a three-month timeframe. The Parliamentary Committee on Land, during a recent visit, expressed deep concern over the unacceptable delays plaguing the office’s operations.
The Jinja MZO, which serves eleven districts and Jinja City, is currently grappling with a substantial backlog. The office faces significant operational hurdles, including a shortage of staff, with only 14 employees against an approved establishment of 25, and insufficient infrastructure. These issues have contributed to a backlog of 12,748 registered transactions.
Among the pending applications are over 6,500 for the conversion of customary land to freehold, alongside numerous transfers, subdivisions, and mortgage registrations. Some applications have been stalled for up to a decade, with staff attributing the delays to a reliance on manual processes for legacy files and document verification, even with the advent of digital registration.
While the Uganda National Land Information System (UgNLIS) has improved security and speed, integrating with other government systems, the Jinja MZO continues to struggle with unreliable internet and electricity, outdated equipment, and poor management of historical land records. These inconsistencies in old titles and maps can lead to disputes and further slow down registration.
The office has also identified instances of forged titles. Despite these challenges, the Jinja MZO has been working on issuing titles and Certificates of Customary Ownership across the Busoga region. However, officials emphasize that digital expansion alone cannot solve the problem without addressing staffing, infrastructure, and record-keeping deficiencies. The parliamentary committee’s deadline now places significant pressure on the MZO to improve its services and tackle the accumulated workload.