Uganda Ministry of Lands: Issues Urgent Public Land Inventory Directive

• Ugandan local governments must submit comprehensive public land records within 14 days.
• The Ministry of Lands aims to create a national register of government-owned land.
• Minister Harriet Ntabazi issued the directive to strengthen public asset management.
• The inventory will identify, reclaim, document, register, and protect government land nationwide.
• The initiative seeks to improve accountability and guide public investment planning.

Ugandan local authorities are now under an urgent directive to compile and submit comprehensive records of all government-owned land within their jurisdictions.

Ugandan local authorities are now under an urgent directive to compile and submit comprehensive records of all government-owned land within their jurisdictions. This mandate, issued by the Ministry of Lands, sets a strict 14-day deadline for compliance, signaling a significant push towards establishing a national register for public land. The directive specifically targets Chief Administrative Officers, Town Clerks, and district land officials, requiring them to detail the location, current ownership status, occupancy, and all pertinent legal documentation for these government assets. This initiative, known as the Uganda public land inventory directive, aims to bring clarity and order to the management of state-owned properties.

The instruction was formally delivered by Minister of State for Lands, Harriet Ntabazi, during a regional stakeholders' workshop focused on the Comprehensive Government Land Inventory. Held at the Hoima Resort Hotel in the Bunyoro Sub-region, the event served as the platform for Ntabazi to emphasize the critical nature of the exercise. She further instructed local government bodies to promptly designate focal persons, ensure the accuracy of the land records provided, and fully cooperate with the teams conducting field verification as part of this extensive undertaking, highlighting the immediate operational steps required from local authorities.

Minister Ntabazi articulated the core objective behind this extensive land inventory: to ascertain the precise quantity of land owned by the government, its geographical placement, current occupants, and its definitive legal standing. This initiative is designed to bolster the management and protection of public assets across Uganda. Ntabazi recounted her initial query upon assuming her ministerial role, questioning the whereabouts of government land and the existence of an inventory for the assets she was tasked to oversee, highlighting a long-standing gap in official records that the Uganda Ministry of Lands public land efforts now seek to close.

The absence of a robust and authoritative inventory, she explained, severely impedes the government's capacity to effectively safeguard its land holdings and to strategically plan for essential public infrastructure development. Properly documented government land is deemed crucial for the successful planning and execution of vital projects, including the construction of schools, health centers, roads, and the preservation of forests. Furthermore, this process is essential for securing land resources for the benefit of future generations, underscoring the long-term vision of the Harriet Ntabazi land inventory.

This critical inventory exercise is a collaborative effort, spearheaded jointly by the Uganda Land Commission and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development. Its overarching goals are multifaceted, aiming to systematically identify, reclaim, document, register, and ultimately protect government-owned land throughout the entire country. Local governments are recognized as indispensable partners in this endeavor, given their inherent responsibility for identifying and safeguarding public land at the grassroots level, making their participation in compiling local government land records Uganda-wide crucial.

The government anticipates that the resulting national database will yield substantial benefits, including enhanced accountability in land management and providing a clear framework to guide public investment planning. A key expected outcome is also the significant reduction in the ongoing loss of public land, a challenge that the Comprehensive Government Land Inventory seeks to address head-on. This comprehensive approach, led by the Uganda Land Commission public land initiative, is set to transform how Uganda manages its most vital land resources, ensuring transparency and strategic utilization.

Lawyers advising Ugandan local authorities or entities with interests in government land must be aware of the urgent 14-day deadline for compiling and submitting comprehensive public land records to the Ministry of Lands. This initiative will establish a national register, potentially impacting future land transactions, disputes, and development plans involving government-owned land, requiring immediate compliance review for affected clients.

Source: Original reporting via Nile Post