You Should Secure Your Land Before Burying Your Spouse – Minister Ntabazi

[Da Dona]

Widows and widowers have been urged to secure land ownership documents immediately after the death of a spouse to protect their families from land grabbing and ownership disputes.

State Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development Harriet Ntabazi said surviving spouses should establish what land and property belongs to the family and secure the relevant documents before focusing fully on burial arrangements.
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“Once your loved one dies, first see what belongs to you before you go for burial,” Ntabazi said.​

She warned that grieving families can become vulnerable to relatives, fraudsters and land grabbers who may take advantage of the situation to claim or sell family land.

Ntabazi also urged families to keep land titles and other ownership documents in safe places and ensure that family members understand their land rights.

The minister was speaking at the Uganda Media Centre ahead of Land Awareness Week, which will run from August 24 to 29 in the Rwenzori region before being extended to other parts of the country.

The campaign, held under the theme “Promoting Secure Land Rights for Productive Land Use and Economic Transformation,” will educate communities on land ownership, documentation, registration and dispute resolution.

Ntabazi said the campaign is particularly important as land disputes, fraudulent transactions and conflicts involving customary and Mailo land continue to affect families across Uganda.

Through the awareness activities, government hopes to help communities better understand their land rights, protect their property from fraud and reduce conflicts arising from unclear or disputed ownership.

The Rwenzori campaign will bring land officials and communities together to provide information on land laws and available mechanisms for resolving land disputes.

Nile post UG​