MPs raise queries on land titles of project-affected persons

Legislators on the Committee for Commissions, Statutory, Authority and State Enterprises (COSASE), have tasked Uganda National Roads Authority (URNA) to expedite processing of land titles belonging to project-affected persons (PAPs) across the country.

The MPs raised the matter while interacting with a team from UNRA led by Eng. Samuel Muhoozi, the Director for Roads and Bridges Development on Wednesday, 13 March 2024.

The legislators noted that many individuals whose land was affected by road projects have not received their land titles back from UNRA, which was supposed to portion out the land they utilised for their activities.

Hon. Abdallah Kiwanuka (NUP, Mukono County North) noted that many such land titles are piled up in the lands office and asked Eng. Muhoozi to clarify on when they will be issued back to the owners.

“What explanation does UNRA have for holding onto these titles? They must tell us what efforts they are taking to retrieve these documents from the lands office,” Kiwanuka said.

Hon. Geofrey Kayemba (NUP, Bukomansimbi South County) said that project affected persons in his constituency are worried about losing their land.

“This issue of land titles is causing commotion and people are scared that someone might come up and try to take their land. Some road projects were completed in 2016 and people were fully compensated, but they were not given back their land titles,” said Kayemba.

MPs also tasked UNRA to explain the reasons for delays in compensation of project-affected persons.

Eng. Muhoozi attributed the delayed payments of PAPs to limited funding for the purpose.

“Since the time budgets were cut due the effects of Covid19, we have not received much of the funding needed to pay these people whose land was affected by road projects,” Muhoozi said.

He, however, failed to address concerns raised by MPs on pending land titles even after completion of road projects in some parts of the country.

Committee Chairperson, Hon. Medard Sseggona, said the committee will invite the Commissioner for Land Registration at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, to appear alongside UNRA and explain why the land titles have delayed in their system.