Ambassador Kizige Donates Computer to Boost Land Registration Services in Kamuli

KAMULI — Uganda's Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Moscow and former Bugabula North Member of Parliament Moses Kizige has donated a modern high-end computer and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to the Kamuli District Lands Office to improve land registration services and enhance data management.

The equipment was handed over on behalf of the ambassador by Betty Kizige during a ceremony attended by district leaders and lands office staff.

Speaking at the handover, Betty Kizige said the donation was prompted by challenges the family encountered while collecting their land titles from the district lands office.

She said they found long queues, slow service delivery and outdated computers that were struggling to handle the growing workload.

“Ambassador Kizige found a long line and couldn’t ethically and morally jump it and told the officers that we could wait till the locals were served and discovered the system was slow, so he offered a humble quick solution for the service improvement of this modern high-end computer complete with uninterruptible power supply,” she said.

She noted that land remains one of the most valuable assets for many households and that efficient land registration systems are critical in protecting livelihoods and promoting investment.

Kizige emphasized that secure land ownership gives communities confidence to develop their property and safeguard it for future generations.

Kamuli District Chairperson Kaloli Dhizaala welcomed the donation but expressed concern over operational challenges within the lands office, which he said were affecting efforts by development partners to support land registration.

Dhizaala cited a programme supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands through Cordaid that is helping rural residents acquire Certificates of Customary Ownership.

“We have a donor who is facilitating rural communities to register and get Certificates of Customary Ownership titles for their land but we are told the secretary who should be in office full time is an occasional worker. This must be streamlined for the benefit of the people,” Dhizaala said.

He revealed that the programme targets the issuance of 25,000 land titles, but fewer than 1,000 have so far been processed and delivered.

According to the district chairperson, improving land registration services will be among his administration's priorities during its first 100 days in office.

“With a donor we can’t afford to struggle with low uptake of the opportunity, so we must all get down to the people to encourage, mobilize and have them embrace ownership which gives security, value and confidence to make meaningful investment and developments in their land,” he said.

Responding to concerns about staffing, Kamuli Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Badru Ssentongo said the secretary previously attached to the office had been appointed town clerk and that another officer would soon be designated to take over the role.

Kamuli Resident District Commissioner Rose Birungi commended Ambassador Kizige for supporting public service delivery and challenged other prominent sons and daughters of Kamuli to contribute towards improving government services.

“We need more patriots like Ambassador Kizige who see solutions to challenges, not mere critics. So, lucky chairperson, reach out to Ambassador Stephen Mubiru and Julius Kivuna, Deputy Head of Mission in Algiers, among others, to come and complement government services,” Birungi said.

She noted that government programmes such as Emyooga, the Parish Development Model (PDM) and other wealth creation initiatives depend heavily on secure land ownership.

Kamuli Senior Lands Officer Festo Igadube said the donation had come at a critical time when the office was grappling with outdated equipment and increasing demand for services.

“He is a rare breed of officers because when he came we were overwhelmed, fatigued after a power blackout. The computer with information had frozen and took centuries to open and here was an Ambassador, a former minister who had a flight to take, so it was an embarrassment. But when we explained to him, he quickly understood our plight, gave due respect to the people already on the line and today he has surprised us not with reprimand but a big boost,” Igadube said.

He revealed that under the Certificate of Customary Ownership programme, which has been running for two and a half years, 700 land titles are ready for collection in Wankole and Namwendwa sub-counties.

Igadube added that the district has already processed, mapped and approved 2,900 land titles for issuance.

“We have processed and approved 2,900 land titles for issuance and 700 ready for picking, but the challenge was that last year was a political season with critics sending negative signals to the locals that government wants to steal their land. So this time the season is over and we are getting to serious business with political will,” he said.

Despite the progress, he noted that the office continues to face challenges including inadequate storage space, the absence of a strong room for sensitive documents and a shortage of computers needed to handle the growing number of applications.

Read Next Article