Parliament Takes a Step Towards Securing Indigenous Land Rights
By Fredrick Siminyu
Parliament has passed a resolution urging Government to establish a National Customary Land Registry, aimed at protecting the rights of indigenous communities and addressing land ownership challenges.
This initiative seeks to safeguard land under customary tenure from illegal land grabbing and prolonged conflicts, which have been prevalent in Uganda.
The motion, presented by Kilak North County MP, Hon. Anthony Akol, highlights the urgent need for a centralized system to manage and verify land ownership under customary tenure.
Akol emphasized the importance of creating a centralized system for customary land registration, stating, “Our people deserve to have their land ownership recognized and protected.”
He noted that the absence of a national registry has left many communities vulnerable to land grabbing and conflicts that could have been avoided.
Akol added that the lack of a national framework for documenting customary land ownership has led to widespread legal uncertainties hindering development in many regions.
“The establishment of a National Customary Land Registry is long overdue. Our people have suffered for too long due to the absence of proper documentation,” he said.
The motion is anchored on Article 237(3) of the Constitution, which acknowledges customary land tenure alongside freehold, mailo, and leasehold systems.
However, unlike the other tenure systems, customary land lacks a national registration system, leaving it vulnerable to exploitation.
Akol submitted that due to the lack of this register, sub-regions predominantly under the customary land tenure system face challenges of legal verification of land ownership and are prone to incidents of land grabbing and protracted conflict.
The proposed national registry will address these issues by providing a central location for the documentation and verification of customary land ownership.
