The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has rolled out a countrywide programme aimed at securing land titles for property owned by the Church of Uganda in all its 39 dioceses.
The initiative stems from a directive issued by President Yoweri Museveni in September 2022 after the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, appealed for government support to safeguard church land from escalating cases of encroachment and illegal acquisition.
Speaking about the programme, Denis Obbo, who serves as both spokesperson and Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Lands, said the first phase will focus on the Kigezi sub-region.
The exercise will cover Kigezi Diocese in Kabale, Rukiga and Rubanda districts, Muhabura Diocese in Kisoro, Kinkiizi Diocese in Kanungu, and North Kigezi Diocese in Rukungiri.
Obbo revealed that the ministry has already received over 5,000 applications from dioceses across the country, with 1,194 applications originating from the Kigezi area alone.
He explained that processing and issuing the land titles in the sub-region is expected to take approximately three months beginning May 2026.
Rev. Canon Dr. Jasper Tumuhimbise, the Chief Executive Officer of the Church Commissioners Holding Company, welcomed the arrangement, saying it will ease the financial burden the church has faced in securing ownership documents for its land.
He noted that obtaining a single land title normally costs between Shs12 million and Shs15 million, but under the government-backed arrangement, the church will only pay Shs400,000 for each title.
Tumuhimbise said the subsidised charges are intended to help the church formalise ownership of its land without incurring overwhelming expenses.
The Bishop of Kigezi Diocese, Gaddie Akanjuna, described the exercise as a timely intervention in protecting church assets.
He observed that the church has over the years struggled with persistent land grabbing cases involving both external individuals and some people within church structures.
Akanjuna urged Christians to support the exercise both financially and administratively, saying securing land titles is essential for preserving church property for future generations.
The Church of Uganda has in recent years been involved in several notable land disputes. Church leaders believe the nationwide titling programme will strengthen legal protection of church property and help minimise future land conflicts across Uganda.
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