Lawmakers in Uganda's Parliament have called for the prosecution of individuals implicated in the forgery of land titles, following a damning report that exposed widespread irregularities in the country's land administration system.
The recommendation was contained in a report presented to Parliament on November 5, 2026, by Edson Rugumayo, the chairperson of the Land Committee and Member of Parliament for Ntoroko County under the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Oversight Visits Reveal Widespread Fraud
The report followed a series of oversight visits to the National Land Information Centre and several Ministerial Zonal Offices, including those in Wakiso-Busiro, Masaka, Jinja, Mbale and Soroti. The visits were aimed at investigating cases of double or overlapping land titling, a problem that has plagued landowners across the country.
During the inspections, the committee uncovered alarming figures. In Mukono district alone, 2,876 overlapping titles were identified. The committee also found 1,068 freehold titles that had been issued over the Kabaka's Mailo land, along with 163 suspected fraudulent titles.
In Wakiso-Busiro, lawmakers discovered that 300 land titles had been forged, while in Masaka, 1,435 land transfers were rejected due to non-payment of stamp duty.
Committee Recommends Sweeping Reforms
Rugumayo outlined a series of measures the committee believes are necessary to address the crisis. These include strengthening the national land information system, cleaning up land records, investigating and prosecuting those involved in land fraud, improving staffing and infrastructure at Ministerial Zonal Offices, and enforcing physical planning and environmental protection laws.
The lawmakers also called for the full operationalisation of key digital systems and closer supervision of land offices to strengthen accountability, protect land ownership rights and restore public confidence in land administration.
The findings highlight longstanding concerns about the integrity of Uganda's land registry, where fraudulent titles and overlapping claims have left many citizens vulnerable to displacement and costly legal battles. The committee's recommendations now place pressure on the government to act decisively against those who exploit the system for personal gain.
