Uganda Land Commission and the Land Fund

What does the Uganda Land Commission do?

The Uganda Land Commission (ULC) is a body corporate established by section 47 of the Land Act (2023 text). It has a chairperson and at least four other members appointed by the President with the approval of Parliament, at least two with land qualifications and at least one a woman (section 48). Its functions, in section 50, are to hold and manage land in Uganda that is vested in or acquired by the Government, to procure certificates of title for that land, and to perform other functions given by law. It can grant estates and create interests in land vested in it (section 70).

Two points are easy to miss. First, the ULC is not the body that allocates ordinary district land. That is the job of each district land board, which is independent of the ULC (section 61(1)); see Uganda Land Law and Land Titles Explained. Second, the Act does not describe the ULC as a seller of plots to the public. A person offering you "ULC land" or "Land Commission land" should therefore prove, in writing and on the register, that the land is vested in Government and that the grant is lawful.

What is the Land Fund and who can benefit?

Section 42 creates the Land Fund and puts the ULC in charge of managing it. Its money comes from Parliament, government loans, donor grants, sums paid into it under the Act and other sources the Minister approves with the finance minister (section 42(3)). The Fund is for four purposes (section 42(4)):

• loans to tenants by occupancy so they can acquire registrable interests;
• government purchase of registered land so tenants by occupancy can acquire registrable interests;
• resettlement of people made landless by government action, natural disaster or any other cause;
• help for people to acquire titles under a prescribed scheme.

Section 42(5) adds that the Commission gives loans to lawful or bona fide occupants, buys land to redistribute to tenants, has holdings surveyed so occupants can obtain a registrable interest and gives loans to other persons to have their land surveyed for certificates of title. Land bought for this purpose is valued on a willing seller, willing buyer basis, a person is not required to vacate until compensation is received, and statutory charges such as fees and stamp duty are paid by the tenant, not out of the Fund (section 42(6) and (7)). The Auditor General audits the accounts, and the Minister reports to Parliament each year (section 42(12) and (14)). We could not open the Land Fund Regulations, so we give no interest rates or application forms; ask the Commission for its current scheme. A survey is a normal step, and Land Surveys and Surveyors in Uganda explains it.

Can I buy government land?

Only through a lawful grant, and the grant must match what the land is. Three rules protect the public estate.

• Boards allocate only unowned land. A district land board may allocate land in its district that is not owned by any person or authority, and a transaction in breach of that rule is void (section 60(1)(a) and (2)). For the procedure, see applying to a district land board.
• Some land cannot be leased at all. Wetlands, forest reserves, rivers, lakes, national parks and similar land are held in trust, and the Government or a local government shall not lease out or otherwise alienate them (section 45(1) and (4)). Concessions, licences or permits may be granted under other laws (section 45(5)).
• Government acquisition follows the Constitution. The Government or a local government may acquire land under Articles 26 and 237(2) (section 43).

Illegal titles over public land have been publicly flagged. In March 2020 the Uganda Investment Authority published a warning that titles over plots in the Kampala Industrial and Business Park at Namanve, listing 27 plots in Block 113 (and saying the list was not limited to those), were illegal, that the land was vested in the Authority, that it would not honour agreements with people claiming authority to deal in it and that it would not refund money paid. The notice is dated and concerns one estate, but it shows what an "official" title on public land can turn out to be.

Why are 'government land for sale' offers a red flag?

Because the checks above are usually missing. Watch for these signs:

• The seller is a broker or an individual, not a named public body acting through its proper officers.
• The paper is a sale agreement, an LC letter or a statutory declaration instead of a certificate of title or a board lease offer.
• The plot is in a wetland, forest, road reserve or industrial park, or the title overlaps another title.
• You are told to pay a deposit or agent commission before the registry search.
• The seller says long occupation gives rights; read Can Long Occupation Give You Land in Uganda? for what the law covers.

Before paying, ask the seller to name the body that holds the land and ask that body, in writing, to confirm. Then search the register. If something looks wrong, read Where to Report Land Fraud in Uganda. Genuine owners can protect their land too: see protect land from grabbing and How to Lodge a Caveat on Land in Uganda.

What are the official channels?

The Act names three public routes for land the state controls. The ULC holds and manages government land (section 50). The district land board allocates unowned district land, with the area land committee as its field arm (sections 60 and 65). The Registrar of Titles issues certificates (section 14). For privately owned land in central Uganda, most of which is mailo, the route is a private transfer, not a government grant; see How to Transfer Mailo Land. Among the 60 plot and farmland listings in Land & Property listings, Nov 2026, 48 state a tenure, and 45 of those are mailo.

You can browse plot listings with the tenure shown on each, or ask our team on WhatsApp or by email to help you check a title. This is general information, not legal advice. As of November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Uganda Land Law and Land Titles Explained
• Where to Report Land Fraud in Uganda
• How to Protect Your Land From Grabbers
• How to Lodge a Caveat on Land in Uganda
• How to Transfer Mailo Land
• Land Surveys and Surveyors in Uganda