Uganda
Survey Act
Chapter 232
- Commenced on 31 May 1939
- [This is the version of this document at 31 December 2000.]
- [Note: The version of the Act as at 31 December 2000 was revised and consolidated by the Law Reform Commission of Uganda. All subsequent amendments have been researched and applied by Laws.Africa for ULII.]
1. Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, "surveyor" means a land surveyor.2. Power of the commissioner to order, control and carry out surveys
3. Power of the Minister to order a special survey
4. Establishment and membership of the Surveyors Licensing Board
5. Meetings of the board
6. Duties of the board
The duties of the board shall be—7. Employment of staff
The board may from time to time appoint or employ on such terms and conditions as may be approved by the Minister such examiners and other officers as may be necessary for carrying out its duties.8. Acts done in good faith by the board and members
Neither the board nor any member of the board shall be liable in damages for any act or default done or committed in good faith in the carrying out of any function or in the performance of any duty under this Act.9. Licences which the board may grant
10. To whom licences may be granted
11. Board to keep a register
12. Disciplinary inquiry by the board
13. Witnesses at an inquiry
For the purposes of an inquiry under section 12, the chairperson may—14. Offences by witnesses
15. Recording of proceedings before the board, service of its orders and surrendering of licences
16. Appeal to the High Court
17. Power to apply to the board for restoration of a licence
Any person whose licence has been suspended or cancelled under this Act may apply to the board for the restoration of the licence, and the board may in its absolute discretion and after such inquiry as it may consider desirable grant or refuse the application.18. Offences and penalties
19. Power to enter on land
Where any survey is authorised under section 2 or 3, any Government surveyor or duly authorised officer with his or her servants and workers may enter upon any land and make all inquiries and do or cause to be done all things necessary for effecting the survey.20. Publication of notice
Where a general survey is authorised, a Government surveyor shall cause a general notice to be published stating that it is his or her intention to proceed to survey holdings in any specified area within such local limits as may be fixed under section 2(1), on and after a day to be fixed by the notice.21. Power to issue notice to procure attendance
A Government surveyor may cause a notice to be served on any person owning, occupying or otherwise interested in any land authorised to be surveyed and any land abutting on that land, or on any person employed on or connected with the management or cultivation of that land, requiring the person to attend personally or by agent before him or her at such place and time as is stated in the notice for the purpose of pointing out the boundaries of the land, or of rendering such aid as is necessary in setting up or repairing the boundary marks of the land, or of affording such assistance and information as are needed for the purposes of survey.22. Clearing of lines
A Government surveyor may cause a notice to be served on any owner or occupier of any land requiring him or her to clear or cause to be cleared any boundary or other line which it is necessary to clear for the purpose of any survey by cutting down and removing any trees, bushes, fences or standing crops, doing thereby as little damage as possible, or otherwise to assist in the survey of the land.23. Compensation for injury done by clearance
24. Power to summon a person to give information
25. Government surveyor to mark out boundaries
A Government surveyor shall after making such inquiry as he or she thinks fit determine and mark out the boundaries of the land and may, subject to all rules lawfully made for that purpose, cause boundary marks of such materials in such number and in such manner as he or she thinks fit to be erected, but the determination of any such boundary by the surveyor shall not debar any person from any legal remedy he or she would otherwise have for disputing the boundary or establishing any other boundary.26. Duty to preserve survey and boundary marks
27. Power to reerect and repair survey and boundary marks
Whenever the commissioner becomes aware that any survey or boundary mark lawfully erected has been injured, destroyed or removed, or requires repair or clearance, the commissioner may cause the mark to be reerected, repaired or cleared, and may recover any expenses incurred in respect thereof from the person bound under section 26 to preserve the mark and keep it clear.28. Duties of chiefs
It shall be the duty of every chief to prevent the destruction, injury or alteration of any survey or boundary mark within the local limits of his or her jurisdiction and whenever he or she shall become aware that any such mark has been destroyed, injured or altered to report immediately to the nearest district commissioner such destruction, injury or alteration.29. Power to perform an order under the Act at the expense of the person disobeying
30. Penalty for noncompliance with orders or notices
Any person who being legally bound to comply with any order under this Act, or with the requisition contained in any notice served upon him or her under this Act, wilfully refuses, or without reasonable excuse neglects, to comply with it, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred shillings.31. Penalty for obstructing a survey
Any person who wilfully obstructs or hinders or resists any Government surveyor or any worker or other person acting in aid of any such surveyor in the execution of his or her duty in or about any survey or the ascertaining and marking out of boundaries of any land under the provisions of this Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred shillings.32. Recovery of expenses and fees
33. Service and publication of notices, etc.
Any notice, order, plan or other matter required by this Act, or by any rules made under this Act, to be served, posted or published may, where no particular method is provided, be served on any person by registered post or by delivery to the address where that person or his or her agent lives, or if directed to a person subject to customary law or to a group or class of such persons, shall be communicated in such manner as may be deemed proper according to custom, and in such case shall also be posted in a conspicuous position at the local administrative headquarters of the administration of a district in the area in which the lands to be surveyed are situated.34. Survey camps
The commissioner, his or her officers, agents and servants may without the payment of compensation build and occupy camps on any uncultivated or unbuilt-on land and take from that land for the construction of camps, beacons and survey marks such materials, wood, not being timber of special value, or water as may reasonably be required for those purposes.35. Rules
The Minister may make rules generally for carrying this Act into effect, and, in particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, the rules may prescribe—History of this document
31 May 1939
Commences.