The Uganda Land Commission is preparing to establish a comprehensive digital land registry aimed at modernising the management of government land, strengthening the protection of public assets and improving transparency across the country.
The planned digital registry will create a nationwide inventory of land vested in or acquired by the Government of Uganda. It is expected to address longstanding challenges relating to incomplete documentation, unclear boundaries, encroachment and inadequate monitoring of government land.
Through the initiative, the Uganda Land Commission intends to strengthen confidence in the administration of government land and ensure that public assets are properly documented, protected and utilised in the national interest.
Uganda’s evolving land governance system
Land has historically been associated with wealth, authority, identity and economic security. Before colonial rule, communities and kingdoms administered land through customary structures based on communal, clan and family arrangements.
Colonial administration introduced new systems of land ownership, registration and control, significantly reshaping land governance in Uganda.
The 1900 Buganda Agreement was a major turning point in the country’s land administration. It formalised the mailo land tenure system and allocated approximately 8,000 square miles of land to chiefs, private landowners and other beneficiaries.
The agreement created a system in which ownership and occupancy interests could exist on the same piece of land. The effects of these arrangements continue to influence land ownership and administration in Uganda today.
The 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda recognises four land tenure systems: customary, freehold, mailo and leasehold.
Customary tenure is based on traditional community, clan or family arrangements. Freehold tenure grants registered ownership for an unlimited period, while mailo tenure recognises the rights of registered landowners alongside the lawful or bona fide occupants living on the land. Leasehold tenure provides the right to occupy and use land for a specified period under agreed conditions.
Despite this constitutional and legal framework, disputes involving government land have persisted. One of the major challenges has been the absence of an updated and comprehensive inventory showing the location, size, boundaries, ownership status and current use of government land across the country.
Addressing gaps in government land records
Mr Kasenge Tom John Fisher, a Commissioner at the Uganda Land Commission, said incomplete and inaccurate land records have made it difficult to distinguish between land managed by different public and traditional institutions.
“There is a big problem now in distinguishing between land owned by the government and managed by the Commission, land under the Buganda Land Board, and land under local governments and cities,” Mr Kasenge said.
“Because of that lack of accuracy in boundaries and the extent of land, confusion arises.”
The Uganda Land Commission is established under Article 238 of the Constitution, while its functions are provided for under Article 239. The Commission is mandated to hold and manage land vested in or acquired by the Government of Uganda.
This includes land occupied or used by government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as government schools, hospitals, police stations, prisons, military facilities and other public institutions. The Commission holds and manages such land on behalf of the Government of Uganda.
According to Mr Kasenge, a significant portion of government land has been affected by encroachment, boundary disputes, informal occupation and competing ownership claims.
The digital land registry is therefore expected to provide reliable information that can support the prevention and resolution of disputes relating to the ownership, occupation and management of government land.
“This inventory will go a long way in helping to solve land disputes, wrangles and conflicts over land management and ownership in the country,” he said.
Using technology to improve land management
The registry will incorporate Geographic Information System technology to create accurate and digitally mapped records of government land.
Information captured under the system is expected to include land location, acreage, boundaries, tenure, title details, current occupants, land use, lease information and other relevant documentation.
Bridging existing information gaps will enable the Commission and other government institutions to make informed decisions on land allocation, infrastructure development, investment, physical planning and the protection of public assets.
Mr Kasenge noted that reliable information on the availability and status of government land is particularly important as Uganda continues to attract local and international investment.
“Planning for this land becomes very crucial at a moment when investors want to establish projects in different parts of the country,” he said.
The registry will enable government institutions to identify land that may be available for development while ensuring that existing interests, boundaries and legal requirements are properly considered.
Strengthening lease management and revenue collection
The digital land registry is also expected to improve the administration of government leases and the collection of ground rent.
According to the Commission, some occupants and lessees on government land do not consistently meet their ground-rent obligations. This is partly attributed to limited awareness, incomplete records, informal occupation arrangements and inadequate systems for monitoring lease conditions.
The digital registry will include automated notifications to remind lessees about ground-rent obligations, lease expiry dates, renewal requirements and other compliance responsibilities.
It will also support the identification and correction of land records where government leasehold interests may have been inaccurately converted or registered as freehold titles.
“Correcting erroneous freehold titles will allow affected lessees to regularise their tenure,” Mr Kasenge said. “This will also enable the government to collect the ground rent that is due.”
The Uganda Land Commission currently has an annual revenue target of approximately Shs7 billion from leases and ground rent.
Once the digital registry becomes fully operational, the Commission projects that revenue collections could increase to approximately Shs12 billion within the first three years and potentially reach Shs40 billion over the longer term.
The anticipated increase will depend on improved identification of government land occupants, accurate lease records, stronger compliance monitoring and consistent collection of ground rent.
Nationwide collaboration and community engagement
The establishment of the registry is being supported by local governments, city and municipal authorities, technical officers and other government institutions.
Their responsibilities include verifying boundaries, sharing existing land records, identifying government land within their jurisdictions and providing physical planning and technical guidance.
Community engagement will also form an important part of the exercise. The Commission intends to work with occupants, neighbouring landowners, local leaders and other stakeholders to verify information and promote transparency throughout the inventory process.
The Uganda Land Commission has emphasised that the exercise is not intended to cause indiscriminate evictions.
Its primary objective is to improve compliance, formalise documentation, clarify land interests and strengthen the responsible management of government land.
“The purpose is compliance, documentation and improved management of public land,” Mr Kasenge said.
Where disputes or irregularities are identified, the Commission will work with the relevant authorities and affected stakeholders to address them in accordance with the law.
Government institutions requested to provide land information
The Commission has formally written to government ministries, departments and agencies requesting them to provide details of land under their custody or occupation.
Each institution has also been asked to nominate a focal person to coordinate the collection, verification and submission of land information to the Commission.
According to the Commission, the initiative has received positive responses from several government institutions.
The Commission has also engaged town clerks from 16 cities and municipalities as part of the nationwide inventory exercise.
Existing records under the National Land Information System are being reviewed to identify registered government land, verify title information and address gaps within current records.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, surveying, valuation, boundary opening and titling activities are also being undertaken to support the development of the registry.
Protecting government land for future generations
The success of the digital land registry will depend on sustained cooperation among the Uganda Land Commission, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, local governments, ministries, departments, agencies and other stakeholders.
Accurate records, transparent procedures and consistent monitoring will be essential to ensuring that government land is protected from encroachment, fraud, irregular allocation and misuse.
The digital registry will also support better planning, responsible investment, stronger revenue mobilisation and more efficient utilisation of government land.
By creating a reliable and comprehensive inventory, the Uganda Land Commission aims to establish a more transparent, accountable and technology-enabled system for managing one of Uganda’s most important public assets.
The initiative represents a major step towards ensuring that government land is properly documented, safeguarded and used to advance Uganda’s social and economic development.