By Sadique Bamwita
Kampala
The Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Judith Nabakoba has sounded a strong warning to Government Valuers and Surveyors who thrive through inflating compensation costs and issuing wrong Coordinates during the survey process. The minister argues that these anomalies ruin public funds on top of loss of public trust from the general public.
While addressing Sworn- in members of the first Governing Council of the Institute of Certified Valuers of Uganda and four new members of the 20th Surveyors Registration Board in Kampala on October 2, 2026, Minister Judith Nabakoba, noted that Land remains the foundation of livelihoods, investment and development in our country saying that every title issued, every boundary opened and every valuation made affects a family, a business or a public project and the general public.
On this note she urged professionals who survey and value land to be competent, ethical and accountable. Nabakooba argues that survey work is the starting point of land registration and that when a survey is wrong, the error finds it’s way into the land register, the land title and sometimes leads to litigation.
She appealed to sworn in Government valuers and Surveyors to stick to the following three matters during their tenure in office;
Integrity of survey work; Act firmly and fairly on complaints of fraudulent or negligent surveys, including boundary errors and overlapping titles that fuel land conflicts.
Growing the profession; Support the registration of qualified young surveyors, so that the country has enough professionals to serve systematic land registration and urban development.
Keeping pace with technology; Ensure that standards and regulation keep up with modern tools such as GNSS, drones and digital cadastral systems.
Nabakooba believes that valuation touches every one of us and determines the compensation paid to people whose land is acquired for public roads, utility lines and other public works. She added that it informs lending by banks, the assessment of property rates by Local Governments, and decisions by investors. She, however says an inflated valuation drains public funds whereas undervaluation denies a citizen what is lawfully theirs.
“Both inflated valuation and undervaluation erode public confidence and trust. As pioneers, you carry a special responsibility,” Nabakooba challenged Valuers and Surveyors.
“The systems, codes of conduct and professional culture you put in place now will shape the Institute for many years. I encourage you to work closely with the Valuation Act Implementation Taskforce and the Ministry so that the Act is fully operationalised, practitioners are properly regulated, and the public can rely on every valuation report that carries your Institute’s name.’
Minister Nabakooba further said that Land fraud, inflated compensation claims and conflicts of interest have cost this country dearly.
“You are now among those charged with redeeming the bad name the public has on us, as a Ministry and also you as professionals. I therefore ask you to be guided by integrity, transparency and fairness. Endeavour to decide matters on evidence,” she emphasized.
The Deputy Registrar, Inspectorate of Courts, His Worship Festo Nsenga , who presided over the swearing-in ceremony of members of the Governing Council of Certified Valuers and members of Surveyors Registration Board, urged Government valuers and Surveyors to be ethical when conducting their duties saying this will help the Judiciary to reduce on land matters related to poor surveying and valuation.
The Chairperson of Surveyors Registration Board, Dr. Ronald Sengendo, appealed to the Ministry of Lands to recruit more female surveyors and also decried the increased number of masquaraders who purport to do survey work.
The president of the Institute of Certified Valuers of Uganda, Richard Masereje, reminded his fellow Government Valuers that they have a big task ahead of them to deliver accurate valuation in fulfillment of their mandate.
