Residents of Karamoja celebrated as the Minister of Lands Judith Nabakooba handed over free Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs) of land to 5,000 households in Amudat and Nabilatuk Districts, Karamoja sub region.
The minister also released seven titles on 140,000 acres to five communal land associations. The event took place at Lorengedwat Sub County headquarters in Moroto District.
The associations include Kopo Kogh Kalya, Narisae, Kadengi Keor Kamaturu, Ket po cho mokongwo, and Ace geretolim.
“The certificates of customary land ownership show proof of ownership of your customary land. A title is conclusive evidence of ownership according to the laws,” Nabakooba told the jubilant residents.
She urged the beneficiaries to embrace development in their area to allow investors who wish to establish developmental projects pass through the right procedures and develop their land.
“If development comes in your area for example roads, please give the investor free land because there is no use in having land without a road, electricity and water.With these titles, the rightful registered customary land owners can now interface with investors who seek to lease, rent or hire customary land,” she added.
The minister urged land owners to keep their certificates jealousy. “Do not sell your land but put it to productive use in order to fight food insecurity and poverty.”
The certificates were processed using scientific methods of capturing the boundary coordinates as a means to secure the customary land and prevent abuse, grabbing by unscrupulous individuals, speculators or fraudulent land dealers.
Mr Emmanuel Longes Loriika, LC III Chairperson Lorengedwat Sub County asked the government to do a follow-up on the certificates of customary land ownership they have issued to the associations to find out what the beneficiaries are going to do with them.
The five communities which constitute five to seven villages came together and agreed that they will hold and own land together as a communal land association because they use it together and want to protect its boundaries.
Communal land registration process
The process starts with filling a landform, taking it to the sub county and paying Shs5,000 for the form and another Shs5,000 for the certificate.
The forms are handed over to the area land committee who gives a 14-day notice to come to the ground to visit it and go around marking boundaries and ensure there are no boundaries and no person is left out who has a claim of interest.
The associations are comprised of vulnerable groups like women, minors, absentee persons and persons living with disabilities .
After filling the forms, they are taken to the district land board where they are approved. And once approved, an instruction is given to the sub county chief who is the recorder/registrar to prepare the certificate.
