The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba, has launched Church of Uganda’s mass land registration in a move aimed at protecting church land.
The launch happened during the training of the Diocesan Secretaries and Diocesan Estates Officers at the Provincial Secretariat in Namirembe.
The training is focusing on land registration and proper land use, and is organized by Church Commissioners Holding Company Ltd.
Nabakooba called for quick timeliness in registering church land to ensure that the clerical has accurate land titles. She also called for productive usage of the land.
“We have received a number of cases about land grabbers and encroachers on church land. In most cases, there is no evidence that the land belongs to the church. The only evidence we need is the land title and that’s why we are here to support you in the registration process.” The former police publicist said.
The Acting Provincial Secretary, Balaam Muheebwa commended the government of Uganda for their support towards the Church of Uganda especially in the land registration process.
“On behalf of the Church of Uganda, I thank the government of Uganda especially the Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development for supporting us in the land registration with technical expertise and all the relevant literature on the same. We are committed to conducting this exercise in record time.” Mr Muheebwa said.
The group CEO, Church Commissioners Holding Company Ltd, Rev Jasper Mpirirwe Tumuhimbise commended the government for supporting the Church to clear Church House debt. According to Rev Tumuhimbise, the compensations from government usage of church land in different areas helped greatly in paying off the debt on Church House.
The launch of the mass land registration follows a meeting between the Nabakooba and the House of Bishops at Lweza Training and Conference Centre early this year.
The resolutions from the same meeting were sent to the Provincial Assembly Standing Committee (PASC) from which an adhoc committee was selected chaired by Bishop James William Ssebaggala to coordinate the partnership between Church of Uganda and the government to have the land registration process effected.
