NABAKOOBA COMMENDS PACT NGO FOR IMPROVING LAND TENURE SECURITY

By Felix Oketcho

The Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba, has praised Partners for Community Transformation (PaCT) for their significant contributions to strengthening land tenure security and improving lives across Uganda.
Officiating at the originations 30th years,Nababooka said many Ugandans hold bibanja (land holdings) without formal documentation of ownership or boundaries.
PACT is an international Development Organization at work in nearly 40 countries. Pact builds solutions for human development that are evidence-based, data-driven, and owned by the communities we serve.
IN Uganda PaCT has mapped over 30,000 plots of land Mubende and Bunyoro issuing free Certificates of Occupancy to owners.

’PaCT’s collaboration with partners like the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the European Union has helped communtiess acquire certificate of occupancy in the Greater Mubende sub-region, Mityana, Gomba, Kassanda, and Kiboga districts has been a primary beneficiary, with land mapping conducted across eight sub-counties,”he said.
Nabakooba said that the certificates have served as collateral for accessing credit from financial institutions.

In aline with Uganda’s goals for socio-economic transformation,she said PaCT has addressed critical community needs in Greater Mubende, where challenges like limited access to clean water, education, and health infrastructure have been solved.
Nabakooba commended PaCT for constructing six maternity wards in the region, three of which are in Mityana District (Mityana Municipality, Kalangaalo, and Kikandwa sub-counties). Additionally, PaCT has built over 300 water points, including 100 in Mityana, and supported more than 500 children through education sponsorships.
The organization has also constructed toilet facilities and classroom blocks in over 30 schools.

In his remarks Geoffrey Ssemakula, PaCT’s Executive Director, explained that the organization initially targeted areas with significant land tenure insecurities, starting with Greater Mubende before expanding nationwide.
In Gomba District, for instance, PaCT has improved landlord-tenant relationships by issuing at least 400 Certificates of Occupancy, significantly transforming local livelihoods.

During the anniversary celebrations , Ssemakula launched PaCT’s 30th signature project which includes construction of a new classroom block at Sserunyonyi Primary School in Kalangaalo Sub-County, Mityana.
“We identified critical issues, such as children studying under trees or sharing overcrowded classrooms,” he said. “Over the next two years, we aim to transform the lives of vulnerable children by addressing these shortages.”he stressed.

Hope Grania Nakazibwe, the Woman MP for Mubende, lauded PaCT’s efforts to improve water access in areas like Kiyuni and Kibalinga sub-counties, where over 50 boreholes have been drilled, significantly boosting water coverage. Ssemakula added that PaCT currently operates in seven districts, including Mityana, Mubende, Kiboga, Gomba, Kassanda, and Kakumiro.
He highlighted Sserunyonyi Primary School’s vulnerability, noting, “We are working with stakeholders to upgrade the school’s infrastructure, with completion expected within two years.”