Summary:

• The government, led by Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba, has initiated a program in the Acholi sub-region to distribute free Certificates of Customary Ownership, aiming to resolve land conflicts, promote regional peace, and empower communities for economic development.

The government has initiated a program to distribute complimentary Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs) to residents in the Acholi sub-region. Led by Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba, the initiative commenced on January 4 in Agago District at a ceremony held in Kalongo Town Council’s Kalongo grounds, extending subsequently to other districts.

Minister Nabakooba reported that the lands ministry has successfully processed 10,017 customary titles for 6,282 individuals in Paimol and Wol Sub-Counties. Among the title holders, males constitute 57 percent, while females make up 43 percent. The documentation and titling of family, individual, and communal land aim to promote regional peace and empower families and communities to generate surplus food for sale without fear of crop destruction.

During the event in Agago, Minister Nabakooba stated that additional customary land certificates are in the pipeline, with the ministry aiming to register 275,000 customary landowners nationwide by 2026. The government, through the Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU) Land component, is implementing this initiative with support from the European Union and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).

Minister Nabakooba noted that the program, initially piloted in Agago, Pakwach, and Maracha districts, will continue to register clans and their land. She expressed gratitude to local leaders for mobilizing communities to obtain customary certificates, emphasizing their role in resolving land conflicts.

The minister inaugurated newly constructed land registries for greater Paimol and Wol, fulfilling the Land Act’s requirement to extend registries to lower local government levels. Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, present at the occasion, endorsed the land registration efforts as a means to curb land grabbing and disputes in the region. He highlighted the opportunity for people to avoid paying licenses on their own land and encouraged engaging district leaders in discussions about development and partnerships with investors.

Agago LCV Chairperson, Mr. Leonard Ojok, raised concerns about forged documents facilitating unauthorized land transactions. He urged the government to investigate and safeguard landowners. A resident, Mr. George Otto, expressed gratitude for receiving a certificate for his family’s land, emphasizing the positive impact on their ability to utilize the land productively. He commended the government for enabling less privileged individuals to obtain land ownership at subsidized rates, with the entire process costing his family only Shs15,000.