Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba says staff transfers across 22 zonal offices were intended to curb undue influence by land brokers, but MPs have raised concerns about service delays and the criteria used to redeploy officers.
Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba has defended the transfer of staff at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development’s 22 zonal offices, saying the changes were intended to prevent undue influence by land dealers, brokers and agents.
Presenting a statement to Parliament on October 22, 2026, Nabakooba said some officers had remained at the same stations beyond the normal transfer cycle, exposing them to potential manipulation by people involved in land transactions.
She cautioned against interpreting the transfers as an indictment of all affected officers, explaining that a committee of department heads had reviewed the changes, mainly considering how long each officer had served at a particular station.
“The moves were neither a disciplinary measure nor a reward,” Nabakooba said.
The minister acknowledged delays in processing some land transactions following the transfers and the revalidation of officers’ access to the National Land Information System (NLIS). However, she maintained that services at the zonal offices had not been formally suspended.
She told MPs that about 90 per cent of the staff had been validated, adding that officers would regain access to the system after reporting to their new stations.
Nabakooba described the refusal by some officers to take up their new postings as indiscipline, amid concerns that the transfers had disrupted services, including mortgage processing.
She also disputed claims that the disruption had caused financial losses to the country, arguing that delays would not necessarily result in lost government revenue.
“I don’t know how much and who computed it,” she said, questioning the basis of claims that the country had lost money. She added that the delays were not expected to exceed a week and that the government would still collect the revenue due.
However, Bbaale County MP Charles Tebandeke, who raised the matter, challenged the ministry’s handling of the transfers, arguing that there were no clear criteria for redeploying staff.
Tebandeke said some officers had resisted taking up their new assignments because certain zonal offices were already overstaffed. He also faulted the minister for failing to acknowledge that services had been suspended, despite disruptions reported by people seeking land services.
He urged Parliament’s Committee on Lands to visit the affected zonal offices and assess the situation, warning that an apology alone would not address the consequences of the disruption.
The matter was listed on Parliament’s October 22 Order Paper as a statement on the suspension of services at the ministry’s zonal offices.
The dispute comes amid concerns over delays in land transactions, which can affect property transfers, mortgage processing and other services that depend on timely access to land records.