The Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development with funding from the World Bank intends to issue out 20,000 free land titles in Kikuube District.
The titles will be given out under the Systematic Land Adjudication and Certification SLAAC being implemented by the Ministry of Lands.
The Ministry has hired a Turkish Company MESCIOGLU to undertake land surveying of the projected beneficiaries in different Sub-Counties in Kikuube District with work expected to last for five months.
On Monday, the contractors were introduced to the Kikuube District Leadership by Eric Byenkya an official from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
According to Byenkya, Western Region has been offered 40,000 land titles and of these 20,000 will go to Kikuube.
"Kikuube is one of the districts in Bunyoro that has had a lot of land wrangles with people having sleepless nights since most people did not have titles.These 20,000 land titles will give people some sleep now that they will know that they have full ownership on their land. I know locals have been finding hard time to get titles due to cost and the entire process," Byenkya said
He noted that residents will be required to contribute shs 85,000 such that they are able to get these titles under this arrangement.
"While the titles have been expensive, the opportunity is here where using less money under this arrangement you can get a land title" he added
Joyce Habasa the Team Leader from MESCIOGLU said their first task will be surveying land but also help locals fill forms and thereafter get land from the government.
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"We are here to do the work assigned to us by government. We appeal for total cooperation especially with land lords so that the exercise moves as planned and people can get full ownership on their land," Habasa said
Flora Natumanya the Kikuube Woman Member of Parliament explained that the program will assist residents get relieved of the many land grabbers who have titled their land illegally.
"Kikuube has had a lot of land grabbers. Imagine you wake up one morning and someone you don't even know in the district tells how they own the land title where you are staying.There has been a lot of connivance in the Ministry of Lands . When people get titles, we will get rid of these land grabbers . Most of these illegal land titles have been in Kyangwali, Kabwoya and Kiziranfumbi and Buhimba sub counties where a number of people have been evicted overtime."
Edward Musingye, the Kikuube Chief Administrative Officer called on residents to embrace the exercise.
"You have been lamenting over land grabbers, now the opportunity has come from government. Let usembrace the exercise and comply to the requirements so that we can live at peace on our land," Musingye said.
