Hon. Judith Nabakooba Empowers Amolatar: Delivers 1,900 Customary Land Titles To Local Families, Pledges Continued Support For Sustainable Development

By Gad Masereka

In a significant move towards securing land rights and preventing disputes, the Minister of Lands, Housing & Urban Development, Hon Judith Nabakoob, distributed 1,900 customary land titles to families in Agwingiri and Muntu sub-counties, Amolatar District.

Representing the Minister, Francis Okello Rwotlonyo, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), expressed gratitude for the opportunity to officiate at the function. He highlighted the importance of legal documentation in safeguarding family and community land.

“NRM government is implementing a critical initiative to register customary land and issue certificates of Customary ownership to families and clans in the Lango sub-region,” said Rwotlonyo, echoing Minister Nabakoob’s sentiments. “We have done so in Apac, Oyam, Lira, Dokolo, and now Amolatar districts.”

He commended the GIZ RELAPU project for its support in rolling out the registration process in Agwingiri and Muntu sub-counties, stressing the significance of acquiring legal documentation for customary land.

Under the current NRM manifesto, the government pledged to provide customary landowners with official documents confirming ownership. Okello affirmed the government’s commitment to meeting the costs of processing customary titles within the next two years, with support from the World Bank and the European Union in Uganda.

The government representative assured customary landowners of continued support for land registration initiatives without introducing self-financing approaches that might exclude vulnerable groups.

Furthermore, Okello emphasized that registering customary land would facilitate the transition from subsistence to market economy, enabling families to create wealth and alleviate poverty through Parish Development Model programs.

He urged more families and clans to embrace government intervention as a key strategy to end land conflicts in the post-Parish Development Model period, underscoring the importance of securing land rights for sustainable development.