The Minister of Lands, Housing & Urban Development Hon Judith Nabakoob has handed over customary land titles to 1,900 families from Agwingiri and Muntu subcounties in Amolatar District.
Francis Okello Rwotlonyo, Resident District Commissioner (RDC) representing the Minister for lands Hon.JudithNabakoob expressed gratitude for the opportunity to officiate at the function in Amolatar, where legal documentation was handed over to secure family and community land.
Over 1,900 families benefited by receiving Certificates of Customary ownership.
“NRM government is implementing a very critical initiative to register customary land and issue certificates of Customary ownership to families and clans in the Lango sub-region. We have done so in Apac, Oyam, Lira, Dokolo, and now Amolatar districts. The remaining districts of Kole, Otuke, Alebtong will also soon witness the Government’s interventions as promised by H.E the President of the Republic of Uganda when he handed over customary land titles in Ibuje in Apac district a few years ago, “Nakakooba said in her speech read by RDC.
He congratulated those who received their certificates and said NRM government is implementing an initiative to register customary land and issue certificates of Customary ownership in the Lango sub-region, extending to districts such as Apac, Oyam, Lira, Dokolo, and now Amolatar.
He thanked the GIZ RELAPU project for supporting the Ministry in rolling out the registration process in 2 sub counties of Muntu and Agwingiri.
” I want to thank GIZ RELAPU project, our esteemed implementing partners for supporting Government to roll out the registration programmes at this critical time when there is a great demand from the citizens from northern Uganda to register their customary land and acquire legal documentation on ownership.
Government under the current manifesto pledged to give Customary land owners with official documents verifying ownership of their customary land. This is the best way to secure customary ownership rights and the Parish Development Model investments of customary land owners countrywide, “he explained,”Okello said.
He noted that Under the current NRM manifesto, the government pledged to provide customary land owners with government documents confirming ownership, thereby securing customary ownership rights and any PDM investments nationwide.
Okello specifically acknowledged the customary land owners of Muntu and Agwingiri sub-counties for accepting the government program which aimed to prevent land grabbing and disputes.
He re-affirmed government commitment to meeting the costs of processing the customary titles within the next two years with support from the WorldBank and the European Union in Uganda.
The representative of the Lands Minister assured the customary land owners of government support for land registration initiatives without introducing self-financing approaches that might exclude vulnerable groups.
Okello emphasized that registering customary land would transition people from subsistence to market economy, enabling them to create wealth and alleviate poverty through PDM programs.
He urged more families and clans to embrace government intervention as key to ending land conflicts in the post-PDM period.
