The Ugandan government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening land governance and protecting vulnerable communities from unfair evictions, officials said on Monday.
Speaking at the closure of the decade-long Response to Land Policy in Uganda (RELAPU) project, State Minister for Lands, Dr Sam Mayanja, said the government’s efforts in formulating and implementing land policies and laws have reshaped the country’s development outlook.
‘By issuing a certificate of occupancy and customary ownership, we are not just producing paper, we are producing security, peace, and wealth.a certificate of occupancy in the hands of the widow is a shield to disposition,’ Dr Mayanja said.
He added that RELAPU has helped households invest, access credit, and resolve long-standing disputes, shifting focus from Mailo land to customary holdings.
‘Responsible Land Policy in Uganda has turned land security into a practical economic tool, documenting more than 111,000 households and giving communities more confidence to invest. Women can farm without fear of eviction, farmers can plan long-term, and local systems are stronger at preventing land grabbing and resolving disputes,’ he said.
Daniel Kirumira, RELAPU team leader, said the programme had issued 10,842 Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs), 558 Certificates of Occupancy on private Mailo land, supported 111,286 households with Land Inventory Protocols (LIP), facilitated 894 tenancy agreements in refugee-hosting areas, and resolved 82 percent of recorded land-related conflicts.
‘Since 2016, RELAPU has contributed significantly to Uganda’s land governance agenda through five major components, including institutional capacity building, digital land service delivery, customary land documentation, community sensitisation, and grievance resolution mechanisms,’ Kirumira said.
He added that the programme also strengthened secure land access in refugee-hosting districts, promoted responsible investment practices, and enhanced advisory capacities for land governance across Africa.
Officials emphasized that secure land rights are both a legal milestone and an economic foundation, unlocking access to credit, boosting productivity, and strengthening local governance.
Joseph Ssembatya, Commissioner of Land Registration at the Lands Ministry, noted that most land disputes arise from tenure systems, but decentralizing registration and strengthening zonal offices is helping curb conflicts.
The announcement follows fresh government rules on evictions, which ban all non-court-sanctioned evictions and require that any eviction occur in broad daylight and in the presence of local police, aiming to protect communities from unlawful land dispossession.