The suspension of special certificates of title in Uganda has received support from some members of the public, although concerns remain that genuine landowners could face difficulties accessing credit and completing urgent transactions.
The suspension was introduced to address fraud and abuse in the process of replacing lost or missing land titles, with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development reviewing its verification procedures.
Ssegawa Isaac, chief executive officer of Tzaka Consultants Limited, supports the temporary suspension, saying it could help close loopholes exploited by fraudsters.
“Stopping the routine issuance of special titles is good because it reduces scams,” Mr Ssegawa said.
However, he cautioned that the measure could also create difficulties for genuine landowners who urgently need documentation for transactions such as securing bank loans or travelling abroad.
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He said the existing verification process, if properly followed, could help distinguish genuine applications from fraudulent ones without unnecessarily denying legitimate owners access to their land documents.
According to Mr Ssegawa, applicants seeking special certificates are required to provide supporting documents, including letters from Local Council 1, a lawyer and the police.
The registrar then verifies the information submitted against records held by the land registry. The application is also advertised in newspapers for at least two weeks to allow anyone with a competing claim to raise an objection.
Mr Ssegawa acknowledged that newspaper advertising can be costly for some applicants but said it remains an important safeguard when an original certificate of title has been lost.
“I know some people do not have money for newspaper advertisements, but if your land title gets lost, you still have to go through this process so that ownership can be properly verified and a special title issued,” he said.
The debate comes amid concerns over fraudulent land transactions, including cases where individuals allegedly seek replacement titles while the original certificates are still held by banks, money lenders, relatives or lawyers.
Special certificates of title suspension
The Ministry suspended the routine issuance of special certificates in August following complaints about abuse of the process. Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba said the review was intended to strengthen safeguards and introduce tougher requirements before replacement titles are issued.
The suspension is expected to last three months, during which the ministry is reviewing the procedures used to verify claims involving lost or missing certificates of title.
While the move has been welcomed as an opportunity to address fraud, landowners and professionals in the sector say the government must ensure the review does not leave genuine applicants without a practical way to replace legitimately lost documents.
The Lands Committee of Parliament is also examining the matter as the government considers measures to improve the system.
For Mr Ssegawa, the challenge is to ensure that efforts to stop fraud do not inadvertently punish legitimate landowners.
He argues that the review should focus on strengthening verification rather than restricting access to special certificates for applicants who can prove ownership.
written by @enock katamba
- Enock Katamba is a Ugandan Journalist and Founder of Uncovered UG, an independent digital news platform covering Uganda and international developments. He reports on politics, national affairs, entertainment, sports, business, education and other stories of public interest.
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