The Ministry of Works and Transport has announced the continuation of its long-awaited exercise to return residue land titles to property owners affected by government road projects, following the dissolution of the former Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA).
According to a notice issued on Monday, November 25, affected landowners on Busunju-Kiboga-Hoima Road are requested to report to Kiboga District Headquarters on Thursday, November 27, while those in Kyankwanzi District will be attended to on Friday, November 28, during official working hours.
Property owners are required to carry their National Identification Cards and a passport photograph.
Permanent Secretary Bageya Waiswa emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to concluding the long-delayed exercise.
“We sincerely apologise for the delay and any inconvenience caused to land owners and appreciate your cooperation in concluding this long-overdue exercise,” he said.
The initiative follows the Ministry’s initial roll-out in September, which began with the Kampala Northern Bypass project.
At the time, landowners were invited to MoWT field offices in Kyambogo to collect titles that had been previously held by UNRA.
“The programme will be rolled out to cover other affected land owners along the different completed road projects countrywide,” Waiswa said in the earlier notice, highlighting the Ministry’s intent to restore public confidence among project-affected persons who had waited years to recover their titles.
The issue of withheld titles dates back to the early 2000s when UNRA, as the implementing agency for major road projects, retained original land titles during compulsory acquisitions for verification and to prevent multiple claims.
While compensation was paid to landowners, many remained uncertain about the fate of their documents following UNRA’s dissolution and the handover of functions back to the Ministry.
Affected individuals, particularly those along major highways such as the Kampala Northern Bypass, have over the years petitioned both Parliament and the Ministry regarding the delayed return of their documents, citing fears of fraud and potential loss of ownership.
This structured government effort marks a key step in addressing the backlog and signals a commitment to ensuring transparency and trust in Uganda’s land acquisition processes linked to infrastructure development.