The Minister of Lands, Judith Nabakooba, has cautioned residents in the Ankole region against using their land titles as collateral for loans from banks and moneylenders.
The minister issued the warning over the weekend during a handover ceremony of 3,000 land titles to beneficiaries from Rwampara, Mbarara, Kiruhura, and Ibanda districts in the Ankole sub-region.
Nabakooba urged the new landowners to prioritize developing their land since they have been recognized as the rightful owners. She emphasized the importance of using the land for productive purposes and cautioned against the risks associated with using land titles as collateral.
“I urge you to use these land titles to develop your land and improve your livelihoods. Do not be tempted to use them as collateral for loans, as this could lead to you losing your land,” Nabakooba said.
The minister thanked the local leaders and members of Parliament who attended the handover ceremony for their support and commitment to the land reform process.
“The government is committed to ensuring that all Ugandans have access to land and that land is used sustainably for the benefit of all,” Nabakooba added.
Johnson Mukaaga, the coordinator of the Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project (CEDP), said that Mbarara has a total of 30,000 titles, out of which the ministry has issued 6000 titles.
“To achieve the project target of completing the generation and printing of the remaining titles, the ministry has revised the government charge fees to Ugx 80,000 to allow the printing of these titles by the close of this financial year,” Mukaaga said.
Catherine Kamwine, the resident city commissioner of Mbarara, warned against taking the titles to moneylenders. She noted that they connive with courts to fraudulently take people’s land.
The handover of land titles is part of the government’s efforts to address land issues in Uganda and promote economic development. By providing land titles to rightful owners, the government aims to empower individuals and communities to use their land for productive purposes and improve their livelihoods.
