DAR ES SALAAM, June 1 -- EVERY time the Prime Minister travels across the country to hear citizens concerns, one issue consistently dominates the list of complaints: Land. In many cases, it appears that nearly threequarters of the grievances presented by wananchi are related to land disputes, ownership conflicts, delayed titles, boundary disagreements or allegations of unlawful dispossession.

That trend should worry every public servant, especially officials in the Ministry of Lands and agencies responsible for land administration. It is a strong indication that serious problems persist within the system. When the same issue repeatedly surfaces in different regions, districts and villages, it ceases to be an isolated challenge and become...