- The Church of Uganda launched a land titling drive across all 39 dioceses
- More than 5,000 applications have been approved, 1,194 from Kigezi diocese alone
- Government subsidies cut titling fees from $800 to $106 per acre
- Land crimes rose 67 per cent in a year, from 397 cases to 663
The Church of Uganda has launched a land titling programme across all 39 of its dioceses, following a directive from President Yoweri Museveni to register church properties, The Living Church reported on June 23, 2026.
More than 5,000 of the church’s applications had been approved, 1,194 of them from Kigezi diocese. The government subsidised titling fees, cutting them from $800 per acre to $106 per acre, and titles are typically ready within three months of successful registration. Canon Jasper Tumuhimbise said the initiative will “secure ownership, thus eradicating land disputes for the church.”
The need is pressing. Land-related crimes in Uganda rose 67 per cent in a year, from 397 cases in 2024 to 663 in 2025, and about 23 per cent of the population has experienced a land dispute. The Diocese of Mukono spends more than $3,000 a month on security to protect its properties. Church leaders blamed disputes on officials and connected developers engaging in encroachment and document forgery.
The drive aims to put the church’s claim to thousands of parcels on paper before more are lost.
Jamaica’s churches, especially older denominations with scattered rural holdings, have plenty of land held on old deeds, church records or simple long occupation. Uganda’s approach, a denomination-wide push backed by reduced fees, is worth studying. Jamaican church leaders could work with the National Land Agency and existing titling programmes to register parcels in bulk, starting with the most valuable and most at risk.
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