Clients seeking to process titles at the Luwero Ministry Zonal Office have expressed concern over delays caused by the breakdown of the only printer. The Luwero Ministry Zonal Office (MZO), located in Bukalasa Village, Wobulenzi Town Council, serves as the primary land transaction and records processing centre for the districts of Luwero, Nakaseke, and Nakasongola.
Operating under the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, the office was established to facilitate computerized land registration, property titling, and improved land administration. However, for nearly three weeks, the office has been unable to print land titles and other key documents after its printer developed a technical fault.
Sam Sserunjogi, a land dealer based in Wobulenzi Town Council, said the disruption has significantly affected residents and investors seeking land titles, conducting searches, and processing other land transactions. “Several people travel from villages only to be turned away because the printer is down. We have repeatedly appealed for a quick replacement or repair of the printer, but nothing has been done so far,” Sserunjogi said.
Samuel Mulwana, the Chairperson of Luwero District Land Board said that the inability to access search letters and other documents has forced many applicants to rely on online services, which are also plagued by frequent system failures. “Many people have resorted to online services, but the system is not reliable. This has slowed down service delivery and inconvenienced many landowners and prospective buyers,” Mulwana noted.
Mulwana added that the breakdown is not only affecting residents but is also impacting government revenue collection. “When land titles cannot be processed and issued, the government loses revenue from the taxes and fees associated with those transactions,” he said.
Dennis Obbo, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, confirmed the equipment failure and apologized for the inconvenience caused to the public. “Yes, it is true that our equipment broke down. Efforts are underway to resolve the problem, and we expect services to resume before the end of this week. We apologize to the residents of Luwero and neighbouring districts for the inconvenience and ask them to bear with us as we work to restore normal operations,” Obbo said.
The Luwero Ministry Zonal Office handles at least 100 clients daily. In 2015, the Ministry of Lands transformed 23 land offices across the country into Ministerial Zonal Offices as part of efforts to improve service delivery. With support from a World Bank loan worth USD 200 million, the ministry introduced a computerized Land Information System (LIS) to streamline processes such as property titling, land registration, and land administration.
The current disruption has raised concerns among stakeholders about the vulnerability of essential public services to equipment failures and the need for stronger contingency measures to ensure uninterrupted service delivery-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
