Land Registration Delays Blamed on Unscrupulous Middlemen.
KABALE. Authorities at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development have attributed delayed land registration processes to the nefarious activities of land blockers, also known as middlemen or agents.
This revelation came to light during today’s Public Engagement (Baraza) for Land Owners from the Kigezi Sub-region at the Ministry of Lands Zonal office, in Kabale District .
The Registrar of titles Ms. Mercy Racheal Nuwagaba clarified that her office had been wrongly accused of delaying the land registration processes, when in fact, the land blockers are responsible for the delays.
“Sometimes, these agents don’t even submit your applications, yet they keep telling you lies that the process is taking long in our offices,” she explained.
To avoid such pitfalls, Ms. Nuwagaba advised land registration applicants to deal directly with the relevant authorities, bypassing middlemen. This approach will enable applicants to personally witness the transactions and avoid unnecessary delays.
Kabale District Physical Planner, Mr. Emmanuel Turyagyenda, also cautioned the public against using land blockers’ phone contacts during the land title registration process.
“When you attach the blocker’s contacts, we will contact them in case of any inquiries, yet they may not keep you informed since it’s usually not urgent to them,” he warned.
Other complications that hinder the land registration process include disputes over land ownership, environmental concerns, and lack of access to established roads.
Representing the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Obo Dennis, explained that the event aimed to sensitize the public on accessing the Land Information System through the Online Public Land Portal and enlighten them about services offered at the Ministry Zonal Office in Kabale.
The Communication Officer at the National Land Information Center, Ms. Sarah Namudu, conducted a session on using the Public Land Portal, which can be accessed via the internet using computers and smartphones. She also provided customer service phone numbers – 0800100004 (available Monday to Friday, 8-5 pm) and 0767554235 (available for WhatsApp messaging).
“In case of any land-related issues, don’t hesitate to contact those numbers,” Ms. Namudu urged.
The event was attended by local authorities, including Resident District Commissioners from Kabale, Rubanda, and Kisoro Districts.
According to the latests statistics, there are 1.8 million people in Kigezi Sub-region and 396,918 households
The total area Land coverage is 493 Sq Km, but only 24.4 % of the total population own land.
The figures indicating registered land were not readily available at the time of filing this report, but the authorities said it was less than 5%
