In much of Uganda, land is more than a place to live or farm, it is the foundation for livelihoods, community identity, and future opportunity. For the majority of Ugandans, that land is held under customary tenure, a system rooted in tradition and recognized under national law.

Over the past decade, Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs) have been introduced to strengthen tenure security while respecting local customs. These certificates provide formal documentation of land rights and have been issued to tens of thousands of households, thanks to the work of government agencies, community organizations like the Ujamaa Foundation, through partners like Cadasta, ZOA, and GIZ.

A recent article by Christopher Burke, Uganda’s Hidden Collateral: Bringing Customary Land Titles into the Financial Mainstream, explores an important challenge: despite their legal standing, CCOs are still not widely recognized by banks and microfinance institutions as acceptable collateral for loans.

This gap matters. Without access to credit, rural landholders often struggle to invest in agriculture, start small businesses, or weather economic shocks. Closing the space between progressive land policies and financial practices could unlock significant economic potential for rural communities.

Cadasta has seen the value of CCOs in improving tenure security and giving communities the confidence to invest in their land. The next step is ensuring these rights translate into broader economic opportunities.

We encourage anyone working in land governance, rural development, or financial inclusion to read Burke’s piece and consider how different sectors can work together to ensure that Uganda’s customary land rights are fully recognized, not just in law, but in practice. 

Read the full article here: Uganda’s Hidden Collateral: Bringing Customary Land Titles into the Financial Mainstream