By Vicent Emong
Habitat for Humanity Uganda has issued 216 Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs) to selected families in Kumi District in a move aimed at strengthening land security and protecting vulnerable communities.
Speaking during the event, Dorcas Okalany, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Uganda, emphasized the importance of land security for Ugandans.
She urged families to properly utilize the land they inherit in order to generate income and sustain future generations.
Okalany warned against excessive fragmentation of land, noting that it could negatively affect future generations.
“If we all begin fragmenting land, our great-grandchildren may not find land to grow food,” she said, adding that Uganda is fortunate to have fertile soils capable of producing food for its people.
She explained that the initiative is part of efforts to implement the Constitution of Uganda 1995, which recognizes different land tenure systems in the country including freehold, leasehold, mailo, and customary tenure. Customary land ownership, she noted, is particularly common in northern and eastern Uganda.
According to Okalany, issuing Certificates of Customary Ownership enables communities to formally register their land and obtain legal protection.
“Now you have legal documents. No one can trespass on your land or take it over because CCOs are recognized just like freehold, leasehold and mailo titles,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Resident District Commissioner of Kumi District, John Bosco Mubito, said land disputes remain one of the most common challenges handled by his office.
He explained that conflicts often arise among family members after the death of a household head, particularly during planting seasons.
Mubito expressed concern about cases where influential relatives attempt to grab land from vulnerable family members such as widows, elderly people and persons with disabilities.
“Sometimes it is painful to see a struggling widow brought to the office after being denied land to cultivate by her own family members,” he said.
Meanwhile, Michael Ochan, a Programs Officer at Habitat for Humanity Uganda, noted that the organization has carried out several interventions in Kumi District.
These include constructing affordable houses, implementing water and sanitation programs, issuing Certificates of Customary Ownership, and training area land committees on their roles.
The Secretary of the Kumi District Land Board, Stephen Opakasi, said the interventions have helped reduce land-related disputes in the district.
However, he highlighted several challenges affecting the land office, including the lack of modern equipment such as survey tools, computers and updated district maps.
Beneficiaries expressed joy after receiving their certificates, saying the documents will protect their land from grabbers.
Many of the beneficiaries include widows, elderly persons and people living with disabilities who previously faced challenges securing ownership of their land.
