The revised guidelines standardise notices for replacement land titles and seek to give people with competing claims a fair opportunity to object before certificates are issued.
The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has revised guidelines governing notices for applications for special certificates of title, seeking to improve transparency and protect people whose interests in land could be affected.
Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba said the guidelines establish a standardised framework for handling applications involving duplicate certificates of title that have been lost, destroyed or rendered illegible.
The guidelines are intended to ensure that people with legitimate claims or interests in the land are informed before a special certificate is issued.
“The process shall provide adequate notice to persons who may have or otherwise claim an interest in the land,” Nabakooba said.
Publication of notices is a key part of the process, alerting potentially affected parties and allowing them to raise objections if they believe an application is irregular or threatens their rights.
The minister said the revised framework seeks to strengthen scrutiny of applications before replacement titles are issued.
The guidelines cover applications involving lost, obliterated or destroyed duplicate certificates of title, as well as cases in which a court directs the issuance of a special certificate. They also address applications involving administrators and executors of estates of deceased persons.
Nabakooba said the process must uphold the principles of natural justice by giving affected parties a reasonable opportunity to be heard in accordance with Ugandan law.
“Persons who may be affected shall be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard, consistent with the applicable laws of Uganda,” she said.
The guidelines are anchored in the Constitution, the Registration of Titles Act and the Land Act, among other laws.
Section 69 of the Registration of Titles Act provides for the issuance of a special certificate of title where a duplicate certificate has been lost, destroyed or obliterated, subject to the registrar being satisfied that the applicable legal requirements have been met.
Nabakooba said the ministry also plans to consult relevant stakeholders further before translating the guidelines into regulations under the Registration of Titles Act.
“As we lift the suspension, we are going to undertake wider consultations again with all relevant stakeholders, because we want to translate the guidelines into regulations,” she said.
She added that the consultations could help strengthen the existing framework and expand regulatory provisions beyond applications for special certificates of title.
The broader objective, Nabakooba said, is to protect the integrity of Uganda’s land register and ensure that special certificates are issued through a transparent and accountable process.
The guidelines also require material steps taken during the processing of applications to be documented and retained in both physical and electronic formats, improving traceability and accountability in decisions made by the responsible authorities.