Delays in getting notary services related to land transactions have been a major problem for many people. For some it would even take as many as six months to access notary services.

This affected mostly businesses and those who wanted to get mortgages. To respond to these concerns, government has decentralised notary services – from the district to the sector level.

Now, it will take a short time to do a land transaction. In the past, one had to wait longer to have their documents certified by a notary.

However, the ease of land related notary services should not be abused. People should not go on a land selling spree just because it is easier to sell land and get quick money, which they have not planned for.

For many poor people, land in most cases is the only major possession and when they get problems, selling land is usually the first thing they look at.

Now that it will be easier to have land deals closed, this might tempt people in villages to sell their land to get quick cash.

Grassroots leaders should sensitise people against selling their plots of land needlessly. Many youth sell land to buy motorcycles to come to town and do moto transport, but this is a recipe for disaster as when such youth lose the motorcycles for one reason or another, they find it extremely difficult to navigate through life’s challenges.

Selling land should be the last resort and only based on informed decisions.