Harmonizing Landlord-Tenant Relationships. Policy and Implementation Insights from Gomba & Mityana Districts

Uganda’s Mailo land tenure system continues to generate landlord–tenant tensions, largely centered on the payment of Busuulu (nominal ground rent). In Gomba and Mityana districts, rising complaints of absentee landlords and refusal to accept legally prescribed Busuulu have increased tenure insecurity for tenants and contributed to persistent land disputes. The Constitution of Uganda (1995) recognizes Mailo tenure under Article 237(2) and protects lawful occupants from arbitrary eviction under Article 26. The Land Act, Cap 227, guarantees security of occupancy for lawful and bona fide tenants but also permits eviction for non-payment of Busuulu under Section 33, making proof of payment central to tenant protection. The Landlord and Tenant Act, 2022, further clarifies the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants, yet its implementation under the Mailo system remains uneven.

The Land Act (1998) further obligates tenants to pay Busuulu (Sections 42 and 51), ensuring landlords cannot demand arbitrary amounts, and that eviction for non-payment occurs only following due and legal process. Statutory Instrument No. 2 of 2025 updated the Busuulu rates, fixing them at UGX 50,000 in cities, UGX 40,000 in municipalities, UGX 30,000 in town councils, UGX 20,000 in town boards, and UGX 5,000 in rural areas (S.I. No. 2 of 2025). It also introduced centralized payment mechanisms for tenants when landlords refuse or are absent. Landlords are now required to issue written receipts detailing the amount, tenant, and year of payment of Busuulu.

In practice, many registered landlords are untraceable or decline to receive the statutory Busuulu, instead demanding higher unofficial payments. For years, tenants willing to comply with the law lacked a clear, legally recognized alternative when landlords refused or were absent. This uncertainty over whom to pay and how to demonstrate compliance has enabled illegal evictions and intensified land conflicts, particularly where tenants could not produce evidence of payment.  These challenges disproportionately affect women, youth, the elderly, and other vulnerable occupants. Women tenants face heightened risks due to unequal land rights, limited economic power, and social norms that constrain their ability to negotiate or seek redress. Youth and elderly occupants often lack documentation, legal awareness, and financial stability, making them more susceptible to eviction threats and exploitation. The resulting tenure insecurity undermines livelihoods, household stability, and gender equity.

Recent measures allowing tenants to deposit Busuulu into an official government account where landlords are absent or refuse payment represent a critical policy response. However, gaps in awareness, accessibility, and local enforcement persist. Strengthening landlord–tenant relations under the Mailo system, therefore, requires effective implementation of existing laws, targeted legal empowerment for vulnerable groups, and sustained community sensitization to translate legal protections into real tenure security.

Hon. Judith Nabakooba, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, during the Land and Corruption Literacy Camps organized by ESAFF Uganda in partnership with GIZ, MoLHUD and District local Governments of Gomba and Mityana Districts under the  Enhancing Social Accountability and Transparency in Land Service Delivery project in Bulera Subcounty,  highlighted that as a major step to resolving the long-standing tensions between landlords and tenants, the Ugandan government has rolled out a centralized system for collecting nominal ground rent, known locally as ‘Busuulu’ through a government bank account, signaling a shift toward more regulated land tenure practices to ensure tenants can fulfill their legal obligations even when landlords are absent or deliberately refuse payments, she emphasized, “Busuulu is non-negotiable and legally binding. Tenants depositing their rent in the government account are fully protected from eviction.

Hon. Judith Nabakoba applauded ESAFF Uganda for conducting the awareness-raising campaigns to ensure that both tenants and landlords understood statutory rates, procedures, and the consequences of non-compliance. She also requested ESAFF Uganda and partners to conduct similar events in other parts of the district and country at large, since it's such information and knowledge sharing that will improve the landlord-tenant relationships, as well as bridge the corruption gaps.

ESAFF Uganda’s intervention in Gomba and Mityana revealed that only a limited percentage of tenants in Mityana annually paid Busuulu at statutory rates, with most of them not aware of how, when, and where to pay due to absentee landlords and the refusal of the landlord to receive/accept the Busuulu, and this has often been used by landlords to justify evictions especially the vulnerable groups like women (widows) a widow shared that…“When my husband died, I went to pay Busuulu, but the landlord was not around. One morning, they came and told me to leave, saying I had not paid. I lost the land where my children eat and where my husband is buried.” A small scale from Kabulosoke Sub-county Gomba District.

It should be noted that in Gomba and Mityana, threats were widespread, and many were carried out without proper documentation or adherence to legal procedures. Lack of clarity on payment mechanisms and receipts contributed to distrust and conflict between tenants and landlords. “Many tenants were unaware of their legal obligations, and landlords sometimes exploited this ignorance to justify evictions.”- Serunjoji Joseph L.C.3 Chairperson, Bulera Sub County.

ESAFF Uganda recognizes that healthy relationships between landlords and tenants where agreements on paying more or less than the legally prescribed Busuulu exist, encouraging informed community dialogue and cooperation, ultimately enhancing the social and economic development of a given community.

In response, the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, in partnership with ESAFF Uganda, created awareness about the importance of paying Busuulu, the available mechanisms, and pathways for paying Busuulu, even if the Land Lord is an absentee or has refused to receive It. It was highlighted that the Ministry, through the URA Portal (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7ws8SrRpNw ) has opened up an option for a tenant to pay Busuulu, using the steps below:

1. Verify your status as a lawful occupant (LC1 letter, documents).

2. Log in to the URA e‑Services portal.

3. Generate a Payment Registration Slip (PRS) under Other NTR / Ministry of Lands – Busuulu (Absentee/Rejected Landlord).

4. Pay using PRN via mobile money, bank, or online card.

5. Submit proof to the Ministry of Lands for reconciliation and legal protection.

President Yoweri Museveni, during an event organised in Gomba District to issue titles in 2024, reinforced the reforms, directing that landlords charging excess Busuulu must return the surplus and that illegal evictions would result in arrest. “Tenants who comply with statutory ground rent rules have full legal protection; evictions without due process are illegal,” the President declared, emphasizing protection for tenants inhabiting land before 1983. (Nile Post 2024).

The implications of these reforms are profound. Centralized payments and mandatory documentation enhance transparency and accountability, reducing opportunities for exploitation and corruption. Legal clarity protects tenants from arbitrary eviction, while Certificates of Occupancy strengthen tenure security. ESAFF Uganda’s advocacy played a critical role in informing these policy changes, demonstrating how civil society engagement can enhance social accountability in land governance.

The Land Corruption Literacy Camps in Gomba and Mityana exemplify how partnerships between government and civil society can transform land administration, safeguard tenant rights, and ensure equitable service delivery. By clarifying legal obligations, providing transparent payment mechanisms, and raising awareness, ESAFF Uganda has contributed to a more equitable and effective land governance system that protects tenants, ensures landlord compliance with the legal obligations, and promotes social stability and economic empowerment in rural Uganda. ESAFF Uganda recognizes the critical role different stakeholders play in the Land service delivery and is therefore committed through its Land Rights Support Centre to continue amplifying the voices of small-scale farmers, especially women and youth, for equitable access, control, and use of land as a factor of production.