The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has suspended the routine issuance of Special Certificates of Title for three months following growing complaints of land fraud, double titling and manipulation of succession processes.
Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba announced the suspension on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, saying it will allow the ministry to review procedures governing the replacement of lost or destroyed land titles and investigate reported abuses.
She said the decision followed complaints from registered landowners, financial institutions, traditional institutions, administrators and beneficiaries of estates, among other stakeholders.
"I have received many complaints relating to alleged double titling, overlapping interests, fraudulent statutory declarations, manipulation of succession processes and irregular dealings involving land belonging to deceased persons," Nabakooba said.
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According to the minister, some people have allegedly obtained Special Certificates of Title while the original duplicate certificates were still in existence, after which the land was transferred to other parties.
The ministry has directed the Office of Titles, headed by the Commissioner for Land Registration, to halt routine issuance of the certificates during the three-month review.
A Special Certificate of Title is a replacement document issued when an original land title has been lost, destroyed or become unusable. The process ordinarily requires a statutory declaration and publication of a notice in the Uganda Gazette to allow interested parties to raise objections.
Nabakooba stressed that the suspension does not abolish the legal process for replacing genuinely lost or destroyed titles.
Instead, she said, the intervention is intended to close loopholes, strengthen verification and due diligence, and protect legitimate landowners and people who transact in registered land.
"Special Certificates of Title are not inherently problematic. The concern is the abuse or manipulation of the process through which they are obtained or issued by Office of Titles," she said.
The review will involve investigative agencies, the Uganda Law Society, Uganda Bankers Association, Private Sector Foundation Uganda, Surveyors Registration Board and other professional bodies.
Nabakooba said the ministry will investigate cases where mistakes or misconduct are established.
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Public officers found responsible for misconduct will face disciplinary action under the Public Service Standing Orders, while third parties found to have deliberately colluded or submitted false information will be referred to investigative agencies.
The minister also said the government will work to rectify cases involving innocent citizens who may have been affected by the irregular issuance of Special Certificates of Title.
She directed the Permanent Secretary to establish a technical team with terms of reference covering the three-month timeline, scope of work and expected deliverables.
The Office of Titles has also been instructed to notify courts about the suspension so that the temporary halt is not interpreted as a refusal by the ministry to provide land services.
Nabakooba said the review is necessary to restore confidence in Uganda's land register, which is relied upon by citizens, courts, banks, investors and property buyers in transactions involving significant economic value.
"One parcel of land must have one legitimate title. The Land Register must be trusted. No Ugandan should lose his or her land because another person was able to manipulate the process for obtaining a Special Certificate of Title," she said.
