KAMPALA . Project Affected Persons( PAPs) of major road projects can breathe a sigh of relief after government announced that it has started returning their residual land titles which have been in state custody for many years .
According to Mr Bageya Waiswa , the permanent secretary Ministry of Works and Transport , the exercise starts with PAPs in Kampala on September 11 particularly those that were affected by the Kampala Northern Bypass project . This category of property owners, which considered under the first phase of the exercise , is supposed to pick the titles from the ministry field office at Kyambogo,( opposite the former Face Technologies Ltd) .
“The ministry of Works and Transport (WoWT) informs all affected individuals whose land titles remain under its custody, and were originally taken over by the former Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) ,to report and collect residue titles and also verify the status of the ongoing subdivision exercise . Please carry your National Identification Card along with you ,” the statement dated September 10 ,reads in part .
This publication has learnt that a total of 6,673 titles collected from PAPs have been in custody of government for over a decade .
According to government Land Acquisition and Resettlement Policy , such land titles are supposed to be returned within six months .
This unprecedented delay to return residue titles is depriving the property owners of their rights as they are unable to sell or transact on their land without titles .
Mr Waiswa said this programme ( of returning titles) will be rolled out to cover other affected land owners along the different completed road projects countrywide . “ The Ministry will issue further communication indicating dates to cover other road corridors ,”
We sincerely apologise for the delay and any inconvenience caused to land owners and appreciate your cooperation in concluding this long-overdue exercise ,” he added