DeSINLISI project: land information system and security of land titles in UGANDA

Geofit GroupDeSINLISI project: land information system and security of land titles in UGANDA
Client consulting MLHUD representative
For World Bank GIS, Land Tenure, Cadastre, Technical Assistance, Development, Training, Skills Transfer

Land tenure insecurity, generated in particular by delays in registering land titles, the costs and poor procedures for registering official documents, is an obstacle to the economic and social development of countries. A study on Uganda conducted by the World Bank pointed out that an average of 270 days were needed to register titles. It is in this context that the Ugandan government wished to modernise its land registration related procedures.

From 2010 to 2014, IGN FI carried out the World Bank’s pilot project (DeSILISoR: the design, supply and installation of a land information system (LIS)) for 6 decentralised offices of the Ugandan Ministry in charge of land issues, as well as the creation of a National Land Information Centre.

The DeSINLISI project was undertaken to ensure the design, supply, installation and implementation of a national LIS and to secure land titles. In 2015, the World Bank selected IGN FI for the national deployment of an efficient, reliable and transparent land information system. Here below a summary of the main achievements on the two phases :

  • 22 zones were involved in the deployment (each zone covering several districts)
  • More than 800,000 property titles have been scanned and indexed.
  • More than 90,000 existing paper maps were rehabilitated, scanned and georeferenced.
  • Approximately 800,000 parcels have been vectorized from these cadastral maps.
  • And more than 500 people have been trained on the new tools and procedures.

The outcome of the DeSINLISI project

As of now, 10 years after the initial start of the project, the system is fully operational in Uganda. The return on investment for the Ugandan government is now measurable:

  • Increase in the number of land titles issued
  • Establishment of a decentralized system more accessible for the public
  • Reduction in the number of disputes brought before the courts
  • Shortened and standardised procedures
  • Increased productivity of administrative teams
  • Reduced document loss and fraud risk