New online public portal to combat land charges

The portal can be accessed through the website (https://ugnlis.mlhud.go.ug) or the mobile application, UgNLIS, available on Google Play and Apple App Store for mobile gadget users.

This land sector reform, among others, comes from the Ugandan government’s Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project (CEDP) entirely funded by the World Bank and coordinated by the Private Sector Foundation.

The objective of this ten-year project was to improve the competitiveness of businesses by providing support for: the implementation of reforms to the business environment, including land administration reform; and the development of priority productive sectors and services such as tourism, fisheries, ICT and agro-industry, with priority areas being improving land administration and registration, strengthening institutions and business registration processes, developing tourism competitiveness and supporting private sector businesses.

The public land portal is, among many other reforms in the same sector, and the main improvements in the system support large-scale land titling, issuance of freehold and customary land titles under streamlined processes , thereby eliminating the need for in-person visits to the ministry. Zonal Offices (MZO) and allowing users to request property valuations and initiate real estate transactions online, among others.

Through this portal, users will have access to accurate information about the ownership, encumbrances and location of the land and will be able to identify the owner of the property.

According to the minister, the ministry had recorded cases of fraud and corruption, but all of them would now be significantly cleared as physical interactions with land staff would be minimized.

“Uganda and foreign citizens can have access to land information,” he explained, noting that tracking land transactions and verifying plot details will also be possible.

The Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Lands, Mrs. Dorcas Okalany, revealed that there would be integration of the land information system with other government agencies. Agencies such as National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), Uganda National Roads Authority ( UNRA), URSB, among others.

“This will bring a new level of security to landowners across the country, empowering local communities and promoting fairness in land ownership,” she said.

She added: “This is a big step towards promoting transparency, reducing the time spent processing land-related applications. The portal represents a modern, efficient and user-friendly approach to managing land issues.

Ms Okalany also says the digital system will increase government revenue.

According to Mr Lenin Victor Oonyu, the National Land Information System Project Manager since the start of the pilot study in August, at least 7,000 accounts have been registered and a sum of 30 million shillings has been realized with 2,500 research carried out to date.

Ministry officials reveal that there has been a distortion of information over time and that people have paid a lot of money to carry out checks. “The portal is accessible over the Internet through the web browsers available on your device, whether on Google Chrome and FireFox, among others,” explains Mr. Oonyu.

Mr. Oonyu emphasizes that before performing a search, users will make sure to register their credentials and obtain an account.

“Make sure you have credit in your account using mobile money or a credit card and log into your account,” he said, adding “after logging into the system, The user will be prompted to select a warrant type, enter your department’s zonal office and provide a block and plot number before continuing.

The system also asks you to provide your personal information and once the search is completed, you will be able to see the land title details.

This will enable users to identify legitimate land owners and reduce land disputes, as the system will be able to track land information such as multiple title deeds, reservations and transactions.

“Registered users should have quick access to accurate information on land ownership, encumbrances and locations. Users will only need a smartphone and an internet connection.

The system has many advantages. For each user, online land services will eliminate delays in providing land information for decision making, saving time since there will be no need to travel long distances to physically obtain these services in zone offices. You will complete the transaction from the comfort of your home.

“We believe this will be a game changer, especially when it comes to land disputes, because you will be able to get details of the land before proceeding with any transaction,” Mr. Oonyu stressed.

He urged the public to embrace online land services, pledging his commitment to developing a new business portal that will integrate other government agencies into the system. “We were facing a big challenge as a government in terms of how we validate any payment, for example stamp duty,” he stressed.

Unlike the old system in which a user had to present a receipt while paying taxes in URA, it is designed in a way to enable electronic payments. “There would be no way to validate such payments. We were able to integrate government agencies like the URA, thereby filling all the revenue leakages.

The portal also allows you to carry out a land assessment and from the launch date, the ministry’s technical teams were in the final stages of automating all land assessment processes. The system has undergone rigorous security checks and the information provided by users is encrypted, as it uses secure user connections.

“It only contains read-only data and no one will be able to manipulate that data,” Mr Oonyu said.

Uganda’s computerized national information system was first introduced in March 2013 and since its inception, the ministry has recorded successes, including tripling revenue from land transactions, limiting the alteration of documents and eliminating unauthorized attributions.

The accuracy and reliability of the digital ledger ensures a high degree of integrity compared to the manual system previously used.

The launch of this portal marked a significant milestone in Uganda’s journey to modernize land governance, making land-related services accessible to citizens, professionals and businesses.

At the launch, the donors – the World Bank – were represented, among others, by Mr. Alwaleed Alatabani, Practice Director, Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation (FCI), East Africa, and he took advantage of the same opportunity to express the World Bank’s commitment to supporting land administration. diary in Uganda.

“We believe this will add significant value to landowners, but also in terms of using land as an asset for productive purposes in the future. »

Main system improvements

The system supports land titling at scale, issuing freehold and customary land titles through streamlined processes. This development is key to supporting land titling projects, such as the Systematic Land Allocation and Certification (SLAAC), by overcoming previous bottlenecks in the registration process.

There is improved integration of customary land tenure which allows secure issuance of titles, with all documentation stored securely in the UgNLIS database. The system includes new features for managing protected areas, such as designated green spaces, infrastructure roads and power corridors.

This helps prevent encroachment on restricted areas, thereby supporting Uganda’s efforts in environmental conservation and infrastructure planning. Rapid physical plans have been introduced for areas with large-scale land titling projects to ensure proper urban planning and protect against land encroachment.

System Security Enhancements The enhancement includes the implementation of two-factor authentication to protect user data and transactions. This additional layer of protection ensures that only authorized users can access sensitive land information, reducing the risk of fraud or unauthorized access. This secure and transparent environment promotes greater trust between system users