Minister Tells Widows to Secure Land Documents Before Burying Loved Ones

What the report says

State Minister for Lands Harriet Ntabazi has urged widows and widowers to secure land titles and other ownership documents soon after a spouse dies, saying families can become vulnerable to land grabbing and disputes during periods of grief. The remarks were made at the Uganda Media Centre as she briefed journalists ahead of Land Awareness Week, which is scheduled for August 24 to 29 in the Rwenzori region.

According to Nile Post, Ntabazi advised surviving spouses to first identify and protect what legally belongs to them before focusing entirely on burial arrangements. She also called on women, men and children to keep land records in safe places so that relatives, fraudsters or other opportunists do not take advantage of them. Her comments come amid ongoing concerns in Uganda about contested ownership, fraudulent titles and disputes involving customary and Mailo land.

The minister said the government is carrying out a nationwide land awareness campaign under the theme “Promoting Secure Land Rights for Productive Land Use and Economic Transformation.” The initiative is intended to help citizens understand land rights, registration procedures and dispute-resolution mechanisms, while encouraging proper documentation and protection of property.

The broader campaign is expected to start in the Rwenzori region and later expand to other parts of the country. In general, land-rights campaigns in Uganda often focus on public education because weak documentation can make it easier for conflicts to escalate, although the specific outcomes of this initiative were not yet reported in the article.