Kasese District Local Government has hosted the 10th National Land Awareness Week celebrations, bringing together government leaders, land management institutions, communities and other stakeholders to promote secure land rights, responsible land use and improved access to land justice.
The week-long campaign, which ran from 23rd to 29th August 2026, culminated in the main celebrations at Rwenzori Square in Kasese, where the Chief Guest, Hon. Harriet Ntabazi, Minister of State for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, called for increased land registration and stronger measures to protect public and individual land rights.
The National Land Awareness Week was conducted across the districts of the Rwenzori Sub-region and Fort Portal City under the theme, “Promoting Secure Land Rights for Productive Land Use and Economic Transformation.”
The campaign sought to increase public awareness on land, housing and urban development rights, promote land tenure security and strengthen the relationship between citizens and land management institutions.
As part of efforts to strengthen land tenure security, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, in partnership with Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM), will support the processing of 1,000 land titles in each district, comprising 500 freehold and 500 customary land titles.
The initiative is expected to enable more Ugandans to formally document their land rights, reduce land-related disputes and promote productive and secure land use.
Speaking during the celebrations, Hon. Ntabazi emphasised the importance of land registration, noting that although people acquire land through different forms of tenure, formal registration remains important in securing ownership rights.
She also encouraged communities to understand the land they own and ensure that their ownership is properly documented.
Meanwhile, the celebrations provided a platform for communities facing land-related challenges to present their concerns directly to the Minister.
Several groups submitted petitions seeking government intervention in long-standing land disputes.
Among them were residents of Kisanga-Ibuga in Rugendabara Parish, Kitswamba Sub-county, represented by their leader, Biira Grace, who appealed for justice and a lasting solution to the land conflict affecting the community.
In their petition, the residents explained that their families had historically occupied and cultivated the customary land for generations. They further stated that their community was affected by an eviction during the 2007 government resettlement exercise for the Basongora, which they said extended beyond government land into their customary land.
The community appealed for justice and restoration of the rights of affected families, as well as the surveying and opening of land boundaries.
Other groups that presented petitions included the Katadoba-Kyaminyoku Association, whose members are settled on land associated with Kilembe Mines, and who appealed for government support in resolving issues surrounding the Kilembe Mines land lease .
The event also provided an opportunity for the Judiciary to highlight some of the legal challenges surrounding land in Kasese.
Justice Lawrence Tweyanze, a High Court Judge in Kasese, highlighted several land-related issues, including alleged forgery of land titles and agreements, encroachment on protected areas and challenges involving forest reserves.
The Judge committed to giving land-related cases priority to ensure that disputes brought before court are handled within the law.
For his part, the Kasese District Chairperson, Hon. Bukombi Muhindi Eliphaz, called for unity and peaceful approaches to resolving land-related disputes.
He emphasised that the people of Kasese, regardless of their ethnic or community background, have lived together for decades and should work together to promote harmony and justice.
“We have lived together for decades and therefore we are one,” the Chairperson said, while calling for sincerity and fairness in addressing land disputes.
He also raised concern over delays and challenges in land administration and called for stronger engagement by technical officers with communities on the ground.
He further emphasised the need for proper boundary opening and verification to minimise conflicts and ensure that land ownership and boundaries are clearly established.
In her remarks, Hon. Ntabazi said she had taken note of all the petitions presented during the celebrations and would follow up on matters that fall within the mandate of her Ministry.
She observed that many of the disputes presented during the celebrations involved land believed to be government-owned and noted that, in some cases, government itself lacked comprehensive information about the land under its ownership, including institutional land.
As a result, she said the Ministry, together with the Uganda Land Commission, had embarked on a programme to register government land across the country.
She warned against land grabbing and fraudulent acquisition of public land, assuring the public that the Government would strengthen measures to protect its land assets.
“The time for land grabbers is over,” the Minister said.
She also warned that fraudulent land titles would be investigated and cancelled where they are found to have been illegally created.
The National Land Awareness Week celebrations in Kasese have therefore provided a platform for communities to engage directly with land management institutions, seek legal guidance and present grievances affecting their land rights.
