Govt moves to block conversion of leasehold to freehold on state land

Government through the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development (MLHUD), is pushing for suspension of conversion of government land from leasehold to freehold tenure.

The revelation comes after Uganda Land Commission (ULC) chairperson Prof. Nyeko Pen-Mogi sounded an alarm to the lands minister Judith Nabakooba that they are losing a lot of government land through that process, with the most applications coming from top government offices.

In the new arrangement, the minister now wants to regulate these transactions, suggesting that even if someone has a leasehold title that extends up to 99 years, they will not be granted freehold title.

“If someone gets a leasehold title, then it becomes their land. We cannot reclaim it,” she said, addressing a meeting with ULC officials at the ministry's headquarters in Kampala on Thursday (April 30).

She has called for a proper strategy, standard operating procedures, and guidelines embedded into the law for people to know that once they are on government land, they will never get a freehold.

“It is better that it remains a property of the government and the government therefore directs the different land uses to the people who are going to take charge of that same land,” Ms. Nabakooba added.

The government is now seeking funds to buy off land from absentee landlords to ensure land tenure security for the bona fide and lawful occupants.

“We need to pay landlords because we cannot take people’s land and convert it at no cost.”

She stressed that ever since the historical times of the 1900, it has been transitioning to different land owners, meaning that some of the land owners currently owning Mailo are innocent people who bought with their money to do production or real estate.

She further requested that the government capitalize land funds noting that: “That is why mzee (President Museveni) directed us to calculate the Mailo that has bona fide and lawful occupants. It was done by the Chief Government Valuer and handed over to the government for action.”

After paying off historical absentee landlords, it will make it easy for everyone to become certain of their land tenure.

Prof. Nyeko told the minister that government land is reducing, noting that they have reached a verge of lacking land to give to investors.

“We should also embark on acquiring land particularly in the new cities. This will help us in reducing shortages,” he said.

The commission suggests that the minister makes it a directive before the end of her tenure, directing them to cancel all leasehold titles that have been converted to freeholds and stop giving freehold on government land.

Where they have already given freehold, they want it converted back to leasehold, noting that when they receive applications from high profiles, it becomes difficult for the commission to reject them.

Uganda Land Commission is suffering budget constraints to acquire land from absentee landlords. They revealed that they are seeking Shs529.82 billion to clear the outstanding balance in the programme of acquiring land for tenants.

In the ending five-year strategic plan 2020/2021-2024/2025, they have been able to pay only Shs219.82 billion to absentee landlords.

According to the ULC August 2025 report, the government surveyed 150,886.49 hectares of land in Bunyoro, Buganda, Ankole, Tooro, and Bugisu regions for payment under land fund and they have so far cleared 27,876.160 hectares.

Buganda region landlords have the highest outstanding balance of Shs313 billion, followed by Bunyoro with Shs85 billion, Bugisu (Shs79 billion), Ankole (Shs38 billion), and Tooro (Shs12 billion).

ULC secretary Abdrew Nyumba said to date, they have issued over 20,000 certificates of titles to lawful and bona fide occupants across districts in those regions. These include Rwampara, Kiruhura, Bunyangabu, Mubende, Gomba, and Kakumiro among other districts.

He also noted that ULC has had 27,781 parcels subdivided for ownership regularization; with ongoing projects across 12 districts targeting 16,771 titles.

Additionally, they have so far processed 513 titles in 10 districts for the East African Crude Oil pipeline.