Judith Nalule Nabakooba Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development
Landowners in Uganda could soon pay Shs200,000 to replace a lost land title, up from the current Shs15,000, under proposed changes to land registration fees by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
The proposed changes, which are still subject to approval by the Ministry of Finance and Cabinet, would affect owners of freehold, leasehold and private Mailo land.
The new fees would also apply to people registering land and those carrying out official searches to confirm ownership and other details in the land register.
Under the proposed changes, the cost of registering a certificate of title would rise from Shs10,000 to Shs50,000. The same Shs50,000 fee would apply to an official land search.
Land searches are commonly carried out by people planning to buy property, landowners and other parties who want to confirm ownership before completing a transaction.
The Ministry said the proposed increases are meant to meet rising operational costs and update fees that have remained unchanged for almost 30 years.
Mr Dennis Obbo, the ministry spokesperson, said the last review of land registration fees was done in 1998.
“The ministry last changed the land registration fees in 1998, and it had taken a long time, yet the cost of everything has increased, so we sat down and came up with these increments after consulting various stakeholders,” Obbo said.
If approved, the changes would increase the cost of accessing several land registration services, particularly for people replacing lost title documents and those carrying out land searches.
However, the proposed fees are not yet final. They must first be approved by the Ministry of Finance and Cabinet before they can take effect.
The review comes at a time when land documents and ownership checks remain important in property transactions. Official searches and valid land titles help buyers and landowners confirm ownership and establish the legal interests attached to property.
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