KAMPALA – Bugangaizi East Member of Parliament Hon. Onesmas Twinamasiko has supported the Minister of Lands’ decision to suspend the issuance of special certificates of title, arguing that the practice had created opportunities for fraud in land transactions.
Twinamasiko said the suspension was justified in light of cases involving individuals who allegedly forged court orders and decrees to obtain special certificates of title, contributing to the growing problem of double titling.
Contributing to a parliamentary debate on the committee report on land matters, the legislator cited figures on page seven of the report, indicating that the Land Division of the High Court had a caseload of approximately 6,557 cases, with 1,173 involving double titling as of October 28, 2026.
He argued that although the committee had largely examined the legality of the Minister’s directive, the decision to suspend the issuance of special titles was necessary to prevent further abuse of the land registration system.
Twinamasiko also called on the Government to provide adequate funding to the Ministry of Lands to support the introduction of blockchain technology, saying it would help integrate the Land Information System with other relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He said improved integration of government systems would strengthen land administration, improve transparency and help address irregularities in land transactions.
The MP further urged the Minister of Lands to prioritise land ownership challenges in the former lost counties of Bugangaizi and Buyaga, arguing that residents continued to face historical injustices arising from unresolved land ownership arrangements.
He noted that the Uganda Land Fund was established largely to address historical land injustices in the former lost counties, but complained that Bugangaizi and Buyaga had continued to be neglected despite repeated budgetary allocations intended to address the problem.
According to Twinamasiko, many residents in the two areas were still struggling with absentee landlord titles, leaving them without lasting solutions to their land ownership challenges.
He urged the Minister to return the Uganda Land Fund to its original purpose of addressing historical land injustices and resolving land ownership problems in the former lost counties.
Twinamasiko observed that although Bugangaizi and Buyaga had regained political recognition, residents were still facing difficulties in securing proper land titles.
He concluded by thanking the Minister for her position on the suspension of special title issuance and urged the government to address the outstanding land challenges affecting his constituency.
