The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba, warned residents of Kikuube District against selling their newly acquired land titles but to use them productively to uplift their families.
Speaking during the belated International Women’s Day celebrations at Kyamasuuka village in Bugambe Sub-county, Nabakooba emphasized that land is a valuable asset that should be used to generate income, not sold off.
“Do not sell your land. Use your titles to access credit, start projects, and create wealth for your families,” she said.
The minister issued 1,100 freehold land titles to 1,046 beneficiaries under the government’s Systematic Land Adjudication and Certification (SLAAC) program. The program aims to secure land rights through systematic surveying and registration. Beneficiaries paid Shs85,000 to process each title.
Out of the issued titles, 30.5 percent went to women, a milestone Nabakooba described as a boost for gender equity in land ownership.
She warned residents against turning to money lenders, some of whom she noted that they are land grabbers in disguise.
“Protect your land. Don’t lose it to greedy lenders. Use government programs like the Parish Development Model, Emyooga, and UWEP to access affordable credit,” she added.
Residents from Kinogozi, Nyarugabu, Kimbugu, Kisambo, Ruguse, and Kigaaya West Ward benefited from the land titles. Some received more than one.
Florence Natumanya Ateenyi, the district Woman MP, welcomed the government’s efforts and called for the extension of the program to areas still facing land conflicts.
Francis Kazini and Stephen Itaza, MPs from Buhaguzi County and Buhaguzi East respectively, echoed the call to protect residents from land grabbers and pushed for more titles to cover the entire district.
Nabakooba also revealed she had approved over 3,000 land title applications for the Church of Uganda, including 101 in Kikuube. She urged other religious institutions to formalize their land ownership to prevent disputes.
The minister thanked President Yoweri Museveni for supporting land registration in Bunyoro, saying it is a step toward transforming communities from subsistence to money economies.
