Africa-Press – Uganda. The Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT) has commenced the long-awaited process of returning residue land titles to individuals whose property was affected by government road projects, starting with the Kampala Northern Bypass.
In a public notice issued on September 10, the Ministry confirmed that landowners whose titles were previously kept in custody by the now-defunct Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) can reclaim them at the MoWT field offices in Kyambogo, opposite the former Face Technologies Ltd, between September 11 and September 15, 2025.
“This exercise will commence with the Kampala Northern Bypass project. All affected property owners on this road whose titles are in our custody are requested to report to our field offices at Kyambogo… during official working days and hours,” the notice read.
The Ministry further announced that the programme will be extended to cover other parts of the country where road construction projects have been completed.
“The programme will be rolled out to cover other affected land owners along the different completed road projects countrywide. The Ministry will issue further communication indicating dates to cover other road corridors,” it added.
Permanent Secretary Bageya Waiswa apologized for the long delays and reassured landowners of the Ministry’s commitment to resolving the matter.
He noted that the return of these documents would help restore confidence among project-affected persons who have waited years to recover their titles.
The issue dates back to the early 2000s, when UNRA, then the implementing agency for major road projects, would often take custody of original land titles during compulsory acquisition processes.
While compensation was paid, the residue titles were retained for verification and to prevent multiple claims.
However, the dissolution of UNRA and the handover of its functions back to the Ministry left many landowners uncertain about the fate of their documents.
Over the years, affected individuals, particularly along the Kampala Northern Bypass and other major highways, have petitioned both Parliament and the Ministry over the non-return of their titles.
Some expressed fears of fraud or potential loss of ownership due to the prolonged delays.
The launch of this exercise marks the first structured government effort to address the backlog, signaling a shift towards restoring public confidence in land acquisition processes tied to infrastructure development.
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