Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba has announced that the government will establish a centralized system through a government bank account to assist with the collection of busuulu, nominal ground rent paid by tenants.
This move comes in response to persistent complaints from tenants, particularly in Buganda, who raised concerns during President Yoweri Museveni’s recent regional tour. Many tenants said landlords were either absent or deliberately refused to accept payments, leaving them vulnerable to eviction.
“The government remains committed to securing the rights of bibanja holders through lawful means. The public should not be misled by political messages that discourage participation in these programs,” Nabakooba told the press.
She explained that the new bank account would provide tenants with a legal and secure method of fulfilling their financial obligations, even in cases of uncooperative landlords.
“This new system gives tenants a legitimate way to pay their busuulu, ensuring that no one is evicted unfairly simply because a landlord refuses to accept the rent,” she said.
The busuulu and bibanja systems originated in the early 1900s under the 1900 Buganda Agreement, which introduced mailo land, a colonial land tenure system unique to Buganda. Mailo land was allocated to Buganda chiefs, while ordinary peasants were allowed to occupy and use it as tenants (bibanja holders), in exchange for nominal rent (busuulu) and tribute (envujjo).
Over time, this system created deep tensions between landlords and tenants, especially as land became more commercialized and some landlords began pushing tenants off land to sell or lease it at higher value.
The 1995 Constitution and the Land Act of 1998 recognized the rights of lawful and bona fide occupants (mostly bibanja holders), stating they could not be evicted except by court order and only upon failure to pay annual ground rent.
Nabakooba’s announcement comes after she temporarily suspended all land transactions involving disputed land in Nakaseke District for a month.
The suspension was intended to allow time to investigate longstanding ownership disputes between landlords and Bibanja holders in Muwaluzi and Wabutunda villages.
Nabakooba reaffirmed that lawful and bona fide occupants (bibanja holders) are protected under the Constitution and the Land Act, provided they pay their annual ground rent. These protections were further strengthened by a recent amendment to Statutory Instrument No. 55 of 2011, now updated under Statutory Instrument No. 2 of 2025.
She reminded the public that busuulu is a fixed, non-negotiable fee determined by the government, and has not changed since 2011:
• sh50,000 in cities
• sh40,000 in municipalities
• sh30,000 in town councils
• sh20,000 on town boards
• sh5,000 in rural areas
In addition to the collection system, the government is also urging tenants to formalize their land rights by applying for Certificates of Occupancy. These legal documents officially recognize a tenant’s right to use land and offer added protection from eviction.
Nabakooba revealed that over 96,000 bibanja have already been mapped, and more than 500 certificates have been issued in districts such as Mubende, Mityana, Kassanda, Kiboga, and Gomba.
This initiative, she said, is part of a broader effort to minimize land-related conflicts, particularly with new landlords, and to support tenants transitioning from subsistence farming to a market-driven economy.
To complement this effort, the Ministry of Lands has launched an online platform and mobile app where tenants can check the status of their Certificates of Occupancy and view details of the registered landowner.
The system is designed to protect tenants from fraud, illegal evictions, and unauthorized land sales.