The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has expressed concern over the rising cases of land-related crimes in the country, with a 67% increase reported in 2025 compared to 2024. According to the Uganda Police report, the cases have increased from 397 in 2024 to 663 in 2025, necessitating immediate and coordinated intervention.
The Ministry attributes the increase to fragmented and outdated land laws, unscrupulous land agents, overzealous administrators of estates, forgeries of land transaction documents, absentee landlords, tenants who disregard their obligations towards landlords and vice versa, unlawful evictions, boundary disputes, and challenges associated with unregistered land, among others.
In response, the government has introduced several measures to address the issue. The Ministry issued an Administrative Circular No 1 of 2025 to all Resident Districts and City Commissioners to enhance oversight while implementing Presidential Directive 2022 on evictions. The Circular requires inspection of transactions of land whose acreage exceeds 0.5 acre in the central region and one acre in other regions to verify and ascertain any interests on the land before any subdivision and transfer is concluded.
Furthermore, the Circular prohibits evictions by Administrators, heirs, and beneficial owners of estates and discourages the deployment of private security guards on contested/disputed land. The Ministry has also developed Land (Annual Nominal Ground Rent) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 to allow tenants apply to the Ministry to deposit nominal ground rent for absentee landlords and those who reject the same on the Ministry’s account held by Uganda Revenue Authority.
Government is in the process of introducing block chain and artificial intelligence technology to curb land fraud in land transactions. Additionally, the government is undertaking mass titling to resolve land boundary disputes, curb land grabbing, and assist the judiciary with the true and genuine registered land owners.
The Ministry emphasizes the need to strictly observe requirements before any eviction or demolition is undertaken, respecting human rights and dignity. The government urges all stakeholders to comply with established legal procedures to curb land-related conflicts and crimes. The Resident District Commissioners are further reminded to be vigilant in maintaining law and order in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
