Uganda's Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has launched a campaign to stop illegal land subdivisions and the sale of plots that do not meet planning rules. Through its Physical Planning, Land Use, Regulation, Compliance and Enforcement Department, the ministry is promoting 50-by-100-foot plots as a standard for subdivision to tackle haphazard settlements. Nguna Sarah, a physical planning expert at the ministry, said illegal land dealers were fuelling unplanned settlements by dividing land into small plots without following required regulations. Speaking at a meeting in Mukono District with Buganda Land Board officials and local leaders, she said the practice also deprived government of revenue collected through the approval of physical development plans.
Nguna said some dealers were selling plots that did not meet required standards and advertising proposed building plans showing buyers what they could construct, despite lacking planning approvals. She cautioned land dealers against presenting themselves as qualified physical planners and misleading buyers with unapproved plans. "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.
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, town clerk of Nakifuma-Naggalama Town Council, said local authorities faced difficulties enforcing physical planning regulations, particularly when land dealers ignored official summonses. He said some dealers 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 said police would work with the ministry to crack down on illegal subdivisions and non-compliant plot sales, with enforcement targeting not only those selling plots but also others facilitating transactions.
Participants at the meeting, including local council leaders, officials, Buganda Kingdom chiefs and community representatives, called on the ministry to expand public awareness campaigns through radio, television, newspapers and social media. They 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.