What you need to know:
- Lands ministry plans phased transfers to prevent service disruptions.
Uganda’s Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has restored access to the National Land Information System (NLIS) for about 90 percent of staff affected by recent transfers, following delays in processing land transactions across the country.
Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba told Parliament that the transfers, combined with a review of user access rights, had temporarily disrupted services at the ministry’s 22 zonal offices, which handle land registration, surveying, valuation and other transactions.
“Indeed, there was a temporary disruption of services arising from the movement of affected officers from their previous stations to the new ones and the revalidation of user access rights on the National Land Information System (NLIS),” Ms Nabakooba said in a statement to Parliament.
“This situation has since been improving and the revalidated staff as of now are at about 90 percent,” she added.
Her statement followed concerns raised by Bbaale County MP Charles Tebandeke during a parliamentary sitting on October 13 over service disruptions at the zonal offices after the transfers.
Ms Nabakooba acknowledged that the delays had inconvenienced landowners, investors, professionals and other members of the public who depend on timely land administration services.
She said the ministry had not formally suspended operations, but some transactions had taken longer to process as officers reported to their new stations and awaited the restoration of system access.
“The services were not formally suspended. Rather, the processing of certain transactions was delayed as officers assumed their new assignments and their access rights on the system were reviewed and restored,” she said.
Revenue collection delayed
The disruption also delayed government revenue collection from land transactions, although the ministry expects to recover the outstanding amounts as pending transactions are processed.
Ms Nabakooba said the ministry expected to substantially address the backlog and associated revenue collections before the end of October.
“Nevertheless, a delay in collection should not automatically be equated with a loss of revenue,” she said, adding that the money due from pending transactions had not, merely because of the delays, been paid to another entity.
“The Ministry is therefore confident that the delayed collections can be recovered as the affected transactions are processed,” she added.
The minister did not disclose the number of pending transactions or the amount of revenue whose collection had been delayed.
She said the ministry would continue monitoring outstanding transactions and collections to ensure that all government revenue due was accounted for and remitted.
Why officers were transferred
Ms Nabakooba said the transfers were intended to strengthen accountability, improve service delivery and reduce the risk of undue influence on officers who had served at particular stations for extended periods.
She said the ministry had received complaints about delays, unprofessional conduct and allegations that some officers had become susceptible to influence from land dealers, brokers and agents.
“Over time, however, some officers across the Public Service have remained at particular duty stations for periods exceeding the normal transfer cycle. Prolonged association with local interests was creating administrative challenges if not balanced with staff rotation, supervision and accountability,” she said.
She cautioned, however, against interpreting the concerns as an indictment of all officers at the zonal offices, saying many continued to perform their duties diligently and professionally.
According to the minister, an administrative committee comprising heads of departments whose staff work at the zonal offices reviewed proposals before the transfers were implemented.
The main consideration was the length of time officers had served at their respective stations. Public feedback and, in a limited number of cases, the health and welfare of individual officers were also considered.
“Staff transfers are an administrative tool for improving service delivery and institutional accountability. They are neither a disciplinary measure nor a reward,” Ms Nabakooba said.
Access rights reviewed
The ministry also reviewed access rights on the NLIS, the government system used by authorised personnel to process land transactions.
Ms Nabakooba said the exercise was intended to ensure that officers had access appropriate to their official duties while protecting the integrity and security of land records.
Under the revised arrangements, access is subject to an authorisation process. The relevant technical department is also reviewing the scope of access granted to some registrars of titles in line with their seniority and responsibilities.
The minister acknowledged that implementing the transfers and access reviews simultaneously had created operational challenges.
She said future transfers would, where possible, be phased to minimise service disruptions at zonal offices. The ministry also plans to improve coordination with the Ministry of Public Service and other responsible authorities and strengthen handover procedures to help incoming officers resume work promptly.
It would also consider school calendars and the welfare of affected officers and their families when scheduling future transfers, where practicable.
The transfers are guided by the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders (2021), Section A–M, and the applicable posting and deployment policy, Ms Nabakooba said.