Law Society Asks Parliament to Overturn Minister’s Ban on Special Land Titles

What the report says

The Uganda Law Society has asked Parliament to reverse a three-month suspension on the issuance of special certificates of title, telling the Parliamentary Committee on Lands and Housing that the directive is unlawful, disruptive and likely to trigger legal action. The group said the blanket halt is slowing land transactions, hurting economic activity and making it harder to implement some court orders involving land matters.

The committee, chaired by Ntoroko County MP Edson Rugumayo, began examining the ministerial directive on Monday. According to the report from Nile Post, the lands minister imposed the suspension to curb suspected fraud in land transactions. The Uganda Parliamentarians Land Management Forum, led by Patrick Bingi, also appeared before the committee and opposed the move, saying it was made without parliamentary approval.

Instead of a full ban, the forum urged the ministry to strengthen verification procedures and audit special titles issued in recent years. It also said officials and applicants implicated in fraud should be investigated and prosecuted where appropriate. The Law Society took a similar line, arguing that the minister should withdraw the directive and replace it with targeted guidance for risky transactions.

The committee said it will hear from additional stakeholders, including the Ministry of Lands, before preparing recommendations for Parliament. The dispute highlights the continuing tension between efforts to fight land fraud and concerns that broad administrative restrictions can disrupt legitimate property dealings.