Lands Minister Omara Atubo (Lango web photo)

The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has called upon the district land Boards to determine their annual nominal ground rents fees payable by a tenant by occupancy to a landlord.

Section 31(3) of the Land Act as amended requires District Land Boards to determine annual nominal ground rent payable by a tenant by occupancy within six months.

However, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Harrison Irumba has said in a press statement that though the Land Act as amended commenced on 12th February 2010 and obligates land boards to determine these rents within six months, to date some districts have not determined these rents as the law requires since six months elapsed on 12th August 2010.

Irumba says the ministry is reminding District Land Boards which have not yet determined the annual nominal ground rents to do so as soon as possible since they have already delayed according to the requirement of the law under the amended Land Act.

Many people in Uganda are tenants by occupancy on land owned by landlord under Mailo, Freehold and in a few instances leasehold tenure systems.

By Zakaria Tiberindwa, Ultimate Media