Minister Ntabazi addressing stakeholders at Hoima Resort Hotel in Hoima City. Photo by Emmanuel Okello.Government land across Uganda is increasingly being grabbed, encroached on and fraudulently titled, with some officials in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development accused of facilitating illegal transactions, State Minister for Lands, Harriet Ntabazi, has said.Ntabazi said some high-ranking government officials with access to information in the ministry had acquired titles on public land, while others had illegally occupied government property and were using it for activities not authorised by government. She also accused some ministry officials of deliberately issuing multiple titles on the same piece of land despite records showing the property belongs to government.She said government is strengthening land information systems to prevent fraudulent transactions and improve integrity of land records. Ntabazi made the remarks on Tuesday during a regional stakeholders’ engagement on development of a comprehensive government land inventory organised by the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) at Hoima Resort Hotel in Hoima City.She cautioned individuals illegally occupying government land to voluntarily vacate before enforcement measures are taken. She said government land, including property occupied by health facilities, police stations, district headquarters, markets, schools, road reserves, forests, game reserves, wetlands and other public institutions, must be protected from encroachment and fraud.Ntabazi urged district technical officers, town clerks, land officers, physical planners, surveyors, natural resources officers and political leaders to ensure accurate information about public land is collected and submitted to relevant authorities. She said districts should take responsibility for establishing accurate inventories of government land instead of waiting for the Ministry or ULC.The minister said government has embarked on identifying, verifying, profiling, registering and titling all its land to protect it from illegal occupation and land grabbing. She cited Section 3.7, Statement 27 of the National Land Policy 2013, which requires government to audit, survey, title and maintain an inventory of government and public land.Ntabazi called on leaders and stakeholders in Bunyoro and across the country to take active role in identifying and documenting government land in their areas. She said the exercise would also enable government to establish a land bank for future expansion, industrialisation, infrastructure development and investment.The minister however reassured lawful landowners that the exercise was not intended to dispossess people who had legally acquired land in good faith. She emphasised importance of protecting government land in Bunyoro, citing the region’s strategic importance due to ongoing oil and gas developments, construction of Kabalega International Airport and other major infrastructure projects.ULC: Most Gov’t Land UntitledProf. Pen Mogi Nyeko, Chairperson of the Uganda Land Commission, said a significant portion of government land remained untitled, exposing it to encroachment and fraudulent acquisition. Nyeko said the Commission, the Ministry of Lands and local governments need to work together to protect public land.He said a comprehensive government land inventory would help reduce land disputes arising from inadequate records while protecting environmentally fragile areas and public utility corridors. Nyeko added that reliable geospatial land data is essential for infrastructure development, service delivery and effective planning.He called on religious institutions, civil society organisations and opinion leaders to mobilise communities to provide information about leases granted by or obtained from government.Hoima LCV Chairperson Uthman Kadir Mugisa said the district had so far titled 60 percent of its government land, adding that local government allocates funds annually towards securing titles for public property.However, Mugisa raised concern over allegedly fraudulent titles acquired by wealthy individuals and speculators, saying some were being used to threaten hundreds of residents with eviction. He asked the Ministry of Lands to investigate how the titles were obtained and cancel those found to have been fraudulently acquired.Hoima City Mayor Edward Isingoma said increasing population was putting pressure on land in Bunyoro. He asked the Ministry to consider providing free land titles to residents, arguing that cost and bureaucracy made the process inaccessible to many.Buliisa LCV Chairperson Twairi Atuhaure Wandera also reported increasing cases of land grabbing in the district, saying the situation had left many residents uncertain about security of their land.He called on the ministry to extend free land titling services to residents through the Systematic Land Adjudication and Certification (SLAAC) programme.Hoima Resident City Commissioner Badru Mugabi said about 70 percent of their work involved resolving land-related disputes, reflecting growing pressure on land in Bunyoro. He said some wealthy individuals had encroached on government land, adding that the proposed inventory would help safeguard public property.The engagement attracted district surveyors, district land board committees, Resident District Commissioners, Chief Administrative Officers, LCV chairpersons and town clerks from across Bunyoro sub-region.-URNThe post Gov’t Land Grabbed by Gov’t Officials: Minister Exposes Fraud Inside Lands Ministry appeared first on Business Focus.