Mugula Dan
20/10/2026
KAMPALA — The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has lifted the suspension on the issuance of special certificates of title, introducing stricter verification procedures and a mandatory 30-day public notice period to curb land fraud and protect legitimate property owners.
Minister Judith Nabakooba
Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba Nalule announced the lifting of the suspension on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, following complaints that fraudulent applications for special certificates of title were being used to dispossess innocent Ugandans of their land.
The ministry suspended the issuance of the certificates on August 14, 2026, following a public outcry over cases in which newly issued titles allegedly overlapped existing titles, creating disputes and threatening the security of land ownership.
Nabakooba said the new guidelines establish a standardised framework for receiving, verifying and approving applications for special certificates of title, with the aim of closing loopholes exploited by fraudsters and improving the integrity of the land register.
The guidelines require applicants to provide supporting documentation, while land officers and government surveyors will conduct physical inspections to establish the status of the property before a certificate is issued.
Under the new procedures, notices of applications must be published in the Uganda Gazette for at least 30 days and displayed at the relevant sub-county, on the LC1 noticeboard and on the land in question.
The ministry will also publish a monthly list of applications in a newspaper of wide circulation and display details of the affected parcels and applicants on its website. The information will also be shared with the Uganda Media Centre to facilitate wider public awareness.
Members of the public who believe their interests in a property may be affected will be allowed to lodge formal objections with the registrar of titles within the applicable notice period.
Where an objection is received, the registrar will summon the parties for a hearing and make a determination before proceeding with the application.
Nabakooba said the reforms were necessary because the Registration of Titles Act, which governs the issuance of special certificates, dates back to 1924 and does not explicitly set out all the procedures needed to address the forms of fraud currently being reported.
“By the time the law was made, things could have been better. The fraudsters, the brokers and the buyers were not there during those days,” she said, explaining that developments in the land sector had created new challenges requiring clearer administrative procedures.
Section 69 of the Registration of Titles Act provides for the issuance of special certificates where a duplicate certificate of title has been lost, destroyed or obliterated to the extent that it is no longer usable. It requires the registrar to be satisfied that the statutory declaration is truthful and that the transaction is genuine.
Section 70 provides for special certificates issued pursuant to court directions and establishes an objection mechanism, while Section 187 empowers the minister to make rules for implementing the Act.
Nabakooba said the ministry had reviewed the procedures and developed the guidelines over the past two months, with a committee working to ensure that the requirements were properly structured before the suspension was lifted.
She added that the ministry would undertake wider consultations with stakeholders to transform the guidelines into formal regulations under the Registration of Titles Act.
The guidelines cover applications involving lost or destroyed duplicate certificates, obliterated titles, court-ordered issuance of special certificates and applications made by administrators or executors of estates belonging to deceased persons.
For titles that have been obliterated, applicants will be required to submit an application in triplicate, a supporting statutory declaration, evidence of payment of the prescribed fees, the damaged certificate, a copy of their national identity card and passport-size photographs.
The process will also require an LC1 committee report and an inspection or boundary-opening report.
For lost or destroyed titles, applicants will additionally be required to present a police report confirming that the loss was reported, alongside the relevant LC1 committee report, inspection or boundary-opening report, a Gazette notice, a newspaper advertisement and local notices at the relevant sub-county and LC1 levels.
Applications involving court orders will require a formal letter requesting implementation of the order and a certified copy of the court decision. The registrar will verify the order with the court that issued it and assess the circumstances on the ground, including who occupies the land and the potential impact of issuing the certificate.
Applications made by administrators or executors of deceased persons’ estates will also require documentation establishing their authority to act, including the relevant probate or letters of administration documents, a copy of the petition for probate or letters of administration, and an inventory of beneficiaries.
The guidelines further require physical inspections to be conducted by government surveyors and the registrar of titles or a land officer, in the presence of the local council committee, which must have a quorum of five members.
Inspection reports must record the proceedings, the people present, the nature of developments on the land, occupancy and the property’s current use.
Nabakooba said the decision to use government surveyors was intended to strengthen accountability and ensure that inspection reports accurately reflect the situation on the ground.
She explained that government surveyors are subject to supervision by the ministry’s relevant technical offices, making it easier to hold officers accountable if they submit reports that contradict the actual status of a property.
The minister said the 30-day notice period was a legal requirement and should not be bypassed in an attempt to speed up the issuance of certificates.
She said the time provided by law should allow registrars and land officers to conduct the necessary checks without unnecessarily delaying legitimate applications or disrupting the interests of people already occupying or owning the land.
The minister also clarified that the new guidelines would apply going forward and would not automatically invalidate special certificates issued before their introduction.
However, people with complaints or concerns about previously issued certificates were encouraged to petition the ministry for investigations and appropriate action.
“It might be very difficult for us to recall all the certificates that were made and put them to the test against the guidelines which we have put in place,” Nabakooba said, adding that the ministry would investigate individual complaints and seek solutions to the cases presented.
The minister cited several properties that have been the subject of investigations by State House and anti-corruption agencies, as well as cases being handled by the Land Protection Unit, as examples of the challenges facing the land registration system.
Among the properties mentioned were parcels in Kyadondo, Mawokota, Kyaggwe, Busiro, Bulemezi and other areas, including land in Chibuye, Busega; Kasai, Nagalama; Mukwano Road in Lira; and parts of Wakiso District.
Other affected properties cited included Busiro Block 8, Plot 68, at Champeesi, Namayumba; Bugerere Block 54, Plot 7, at Pokotelo, Bali; Busiro Block 405, Plots 42 and 98, at Wamala; and Busiro Block 42-8, Plots 111, 113, 115 and 117, in Bujiri, Kawuku.
Nabakooba warned that the consequences of irregularly issued special certificates could extend far beyond the immediate applicant, affecting hundreds of people whose properties had already been registered.
She cited a case in Wakiso in which one special certificate reportedly affected about 200 existing titles. In another case in Mbarara, she said, a certificate linked to more than 100 titles was cancelled.
According to the minister, some individuals allegedly exploit legal procedures to obtain new titles by presenting claims that the land has never previously been transacted or dealt with, even where legitimate ownership records already exist.
The resulting certificates can overlap previously registered titles, creating confusion and exposing lawful owners to lengthy disputes.
“This is why we need guidelines. They may be a little tedious, but we need to streamline our register and the registration of these certificates to ensure that what is on file is what is on the ground, with no overlaps,” she said.
The ministry’s reforms are intended to improve the authenticity, credibility and reliability of land records while ensuring that property owners have an opportunity to challenge applications that could affect their interests.
Nabakooba appealed to the media and members of the public to support the reforms, saying public cooperation would be essential to strengthening transparency and protecting land ownership rights.
She said the measures were not intended to serve the interests of individual officials but to protect the public and promote the common good.
The minister added that the reforms were part of the government’s broader commitment to fighting corruption, improving public service delivery and safeguarding the interests of Ugandans.
The lifting of the suspension means applications for special certificates of title can resume under the new requirements, as the ministry begins consultations aimed at developing a stronger regulatory framework for land registration.
