The Ministry of Lands is targeting unapproved plot subdivisions and misleading land advertisements, warning dealers that the practice fuels unplanned settlements and deprives government of revenue.
The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has launched a campaign to curb illegal land subdivisions and the sale of plots that do not meet planning requirements.
Through its Physical Planning, Land Use, Regulation, Compliance and Enforcement Department, the ministry is promoting the use of 50-by-100-foot plots as a starting standard for subdivision in efforts to address haphazard settlements.
Nguna Sarah, a physical planning expert at the ministry, said illegal land dealers were contributing to the growth of unplanned settlements by dividing land into small plots without following the required regulations.
Speaking during a meeting at Nakifuma-Naggalama Town Council headquarters in Mukono District, attended by Buganda Land Board officials and local leaders, Nguna said the practice also deprived government of revenue collected through the approval of physical development plans.
She said some dealers were selling plots that did not meet the required standards and advertising proposed building plans showing buyers what they could construct, despite lacking the necessary planning approvals.
“Land dealers have taken it upon themselves to subdivide land into small plots without following the law. Apart from causing unplanned settlements, this practice also denies government revenue from the approval of physical development plans,” she said.
Nguna cautioned land dealers against presenting themselves as qualified physical planners and misleading buyers by advertising plots alongside proposed building plans that had not received the necessary approvals.
Hajjat Rehema Nanvuma Wandera of Buganda Land Board welcomed the initiative but urged the ministry to follow public sensitisation with effective enforcement.
She said Uganda had numerous laws and regulations that were often discussed but poorly implemented, allowing illegal land practices to persist.
“The initiative should not end with discussions and sensitisation. The laws must be enforced because we have many regulations, but implementation remains a challenge,” she said.
Francis Kizito Walubi, the town clerk of Nakifuma-Naggalama Town Council, said local authorities faced difficulties enforcing physical planning regulations, particularly when land dealers ignored official summonses to address alleged violations.
He said some dealers instead approached higher government offices to challenge local authority decisions, sometimes seeking the removal or transfer of officials enforcing the regulations.
SP Martin Walugembe of the Uganda Police Force’s land protection office in Naguru said police would work with the ministry to crack down on illegal subdivisions and the sale of plots that did not comply with planning requirements.
Walugembe said enforcement would target not only those selling the plots but also others involved in facilitating the transactions.
Participants, including local council leaders, officials from Nakifuma Constituency, Buganda Kingdom chiefs and community representatives, called on the ministry to expand public awareness campaigns through radio, television, newspapers and social media.
They also urged the government to restrict land dealers from advertising plots below the proposed 50-by-100-foot standard, arguing that public sensitisation and stricter enforcement were necessary to protect buyers and prevent further unplanned development.
The meeting formed part of broader efforts to promote orderly physical planning and ensure land subdivisions comply with established regulations.