Author: Isaac Matumbwe
Throughout the ages, land has been a source of income generation for households in the world. People in rural areas usually use land to meet subsistence needs like food and shelter. Land when used properly to meet those needs provides resilience (social and economical) to the households for a long time. Land is a very important resource for individuals to manage/use. Failure to use it sustainably leads to several consequences for the future generations. The crucial role land plays in the sustainable development calls for protection of this valuable resource. The best way to promote the sustainable development of land…
Fenekansi (not real name) bought five acres of land in Bugweri district. He paid all the money in a lumpsum. After signing the land agreement, the seller requested a grace period of six months to shift his house from the portion he had sold to his remaining portion. Fenekansi agreed to the request. After the grace period ended, the seller was still using the land and there were no signs he was about to vacate. Fenekansi reported his predicament to the local council authorities. The officials intervened and the seller requested another three months to finally vacate the land. An…
In the previous two articles, I discussed the necessary due diligence one needs to take while carrying out any land transaction. In those articles, I discussed several things one can do to protect his/her hard-earned money from being lost. This is a follow-up article to the previous ones. In this article, I will discuss the measurement units used in land transactions. It is prudent for you as a buyer to have the basic knowledge of land measurement units and terminologies.Possesion of the knowledge will set you up to enjoy several advantages that include the following: The first advantage is that…
In the previous article, I discussed the necessary due diligence one needs to take while carrying out any land transaction. This is a follow-up article to the previous one. In this article, I will discuss the contents of a good land sales agreement. It is paramount for you as a buyer or seller to know the contents of a good land sales agreement. This knowledge has several advantages that include the following; First of all, the agreement acts as a protection to both the purchaser’s and seller’s interests and ensures that both get what they rightfully deserve without getting conned.…
Waligo and his wife bought land in December 2022. They agreed to buy registered land. Registered land is land with a certificate of Title. One of their friends recommended someone with the registered land. They bought the land and had it transferred into their names. Last year they wanted to develop it. They hired an architect to produce a house plan. The architect asked them to provide a copy of the certificate of title to get the extentof the land. Later on, the architect went to do a site visit, and she found that the dimensions on the deed plan…
Naigaga is distraught. She is homeless now. She recently lost her husband. After the burial of her husband, she was chased by her husband relatives from the land she has called home for the last many years. She does not have anything to her name as everything was taken away from her. Naigaga with her children have returned to her parents’ home. Naigaga is one of the many women who face injustices when it comes to ownership of family property. Many women are in great pain caused by the same people who were meant to protect them.Naigaga’s situation is not…
In the previous article, I shared about the benefits of having your claims/ interests in land registered. In this article I discuss the various players/stakeholders involved in the land registration process. We came to a conclusion in the prior article that land registration is a crucial component of a stable and prosperous country. It is not only about registering your land interests but there should be protection and respects of those interests by all the stakeholders involved. Show me a prosperous country and in it, you will find well-functioning land registration systems. There should be confidence in the systems by…
In the previous article, we discussed issues of rights, interests, claims, privileges and responsibilities of the various stakeholders in Land management in Busoga. It should be noted that in order to be enforceable, these rights must be registered and documented. Land registration can be defined as the means through which rights, interests, claims and privileges are considered and protected through formal documentation. Simply put, land registration is a system whereby matters concerning ownership, possession or other rights in land are formally recorded (usually with a government agency or Department) in order to provide documentary evidence of title, facilitate transactions, and…
In the previous article, I discussed the customary tenure holding patterns. Today, we will look briefly at the various rights, privileges and responsibilities of all the land equation stakeholders. The legal framework provides the limits for all land ownership issues in Uganda. It offers a fair playing ground for all the rights of all stakeholders. When buying or using land, one should ensure that the rights of the different stakeholders are taken care of and respected. Disrespect for other stakeholders’ rights causes chaos in the community, and you, as the landowner, will not be able to use your land in…
In the previous article, I briefly shared about the different land tenures in Busoga sub-region. In this article, I have decided to delve into customary landholding patterns in the region. Researchers and scholars have noted that prior to 1900, customary land tenure was predominant in all the regions of the country. This was before the colonialists came to Uganda. The advent of colonialism and the subsequent introduction of their laws altered relations on land in several parts of the country. During the colonial times, occupation of land by non-Africans was kept at relatively low levels in all parts of the…