Jinja Land Office Grapples with Massive Backlog Amid Staffing and Infrastructure Woes

The Jinja Ministry Zonal Office (MZO), responsible for serving 11 districts and Jinja City, is experiencing a substantial backlog of registered transactions and pending applications. This situation highlights persistent challenges in staffing, infrastructure, and records management, even as Uganda’s digital land registration system, the Uganda National Land Information System (UgNLIS), aims to enhance security and efficiency.

Jamirah Lunkuse, Jinja Registrar of Titles, noted that while the digital integration with NIRA and URA has improved transparency and security by reducing fraud, some processes still require manual intervention. These include retrieving old physical files, verifying original documents, and signing transfer instruments. The office operates with only 14 staff against an approved strength of 25, contributing to the significant backlog of 12,748 registered transactions and thousands of pending applications.

Compounding the issue are infrastructural deficits, including unreliable internet and electricity supply, and inadequate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and survey equipment. The digitization process is further hampered by outdated titles, deeds, cadastral maps, and historical ownership records, which often contain inconsistencies and errors that delay registration and fuel disputes. Poorly managed survey files and incomplete data from the previous manual system have also led to overlapping land titles.

Beatrice Adong Oling, Principal Assistant Secretary, detailed a significant staffing gap with 11 vacant positions, affecting roles from senior land officers to administrative support. The office also requires updated ICT and survey equipment, improved storage solutions, and essential facilities like a field vehicle. The building itself needs renovation, lacks a title deed, and requires additional land for expansion.

The backlog includes 6,531 applications for converting customary land to freehold, along with hundreds of pending transfers, subdivisions, and title rectifications. Officials have warned that technological advancements alone cannot overcome these hurdles without sufficient personnel, robust infrastructure, and meticulously updated records. The Parliamentary Committee on Lands has given the Jinja MZO three months to clear the backlog, deeming further delays unacceptable.

This report was sourced from the Daily Monitor (Uganda).