Hon Oguzu Lee Guides Churches in Maracha District Ahead of Plan by Ministry of Land to Process Free Titles for Church Lands in Uganda.

#Religion  and #Law

📸: Madi and WestNile Diocese Meeting Schedules across WestNile region over the land registration.

Maracha Constituency MP Hon Oguzu Lee Denis has on Wednesday morning, 26-June-2024 offered a thorough guidance to all the churches in Maracha District ahead of planned Diocesan meeting with the clegries over government of Uganda's plan to process church land titles for free in the Country. 

The Hon MP made the submissions through Church WhatsApp group called, "KIJOMORO DEVELOPMENT FORUM" whose admin is, the Parish priest for Kijomoro parish, Rev Adiga Robert.

NB: Rev Adiga Robert clarified that, the meeting for Kijomoro parish has been scheduled for 30-June-2024.

Below here are the submissions.

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This is goodnews. Our Churches need to secure their land by processing titles for church land. They'll need to have area Land Committees inspect their land. Obtain endorsement from Physical Planning Committees of various sub counties and approval of their application by District Land Board and get offer letters. Survey will ensue after obtaining an offer letter and instruction to to survey. This has to be followed by a request to the Bishop for a letter by Bishop to the Minister to okay issuance of title.

 Note: All church land in Uganda is now being registered in the names of Church of Uganda and local church. Someone can seek to understand why during that meeting. 

Our churches could target a successor project to one that processed customary certificates. I would advise our churches to apply for conversation of customary interests to freehold tenure. With free hold, you don't pay annual ground rent and premium. Also freehold doesn't expire. Even if lease to others, the Church's residual interest in the land won't be affected. 

Churches should also be informed that under the Physical Planning Act 2010, all the developments they do must get permission from the Physical Planning Committee. Also the Building Control Act 2013 requires anyone building to obtain building permit from the Building Committee or Building Control Officer of the District. Since churches construct public buildings, those buildings should be designed to be inclusive and accessible by PWDs. 

I offered to pay Area Land Committee inspection fees for all Churches in Maracha constituency should they consider processing title for their church land. 

I advise all boundary conflicts should be resolved prior to applying for inspection so that neighbours can easily endorse their application, a critical requirement to obtain title. 

Good Day

Hon Oguzu Lee Denis

MP, Maracha Constituency.