Can Foreigners Own Land in Uganda? Leasehold Rules
Updated 3 November 2026 · Land & Property editorial team
As of November 2026, a foreigner (a non-citizen) cannot own freehold or mailo land in Uganda. Article 237(2)(c) of the Constitution and section 41 of the Land Act (2023 revised edition) allow a non-citizen to hold a lease, capped at 99 years. A company counts as foreign if non-citizens control it, or if its articles do not restrict share transfers to non-citizens.
- What a non-citizen may hold
- A lease only, not freehold or mailo (Land Act s.41(1) and (4), 2023 edition)
- Longest lease
- 99 years (Land Act s.41(3), 2023 edition)
- Lease of five years or more
- Must be registered under the Registration of Titles Act (s.41(2))
- Company test
- Foreign if non-citizens control it, or its articles lack a share-transfer restriction (s.41(7))
Can a foreigner own land in Uganda?
A foreigner can own an interest in Ugandan land, but only a leasehold one. The Land Act says that, subject to Article 237(2)(c) of the Constitution, a non-citizen may acquire a lease. It then says a non-citizen shall not be granted a lease longer than 99 years, and shall not acquire or hold mailo or freehold land. These rules are in section 41 of the 2023 revised edition of the Land Act, which the Uganda Legal Information Institute publishes as Cap. 236. Older editions of the Act number this provision differently, so section numbers in older articles may differ.
A 2022 Daily Monitor article by a Kampala law firm also describes non-citizens as unable to own land except under leasehold, and says leases of up to 99 years are usually long enough for a developer to build, recover the investment and make a return. That is a lawyer's commercial view rather than a rule, so test it against your own plans.
If you are a Ugandan by citizenship who also holds a foreign passport, you may not be a "non-citizen" at all. That question has its own page: Dual Citizenship and Land Ownership in Uganda. This page is for people who are not Ugandan citizens, and for Ugandans abroad who want to know how the law treats foreign buyers. It builds on the overview in Buying Property in Uganda from Abroad.
What does section 41 of the Land Act say, subsection by subsection?
The table summarises the 2023 revised edition. It is our plain-English summary, so read the Act itself or ask an advocate before relying on it for a purchase.
| Subsection | Rule in plain words |
|---|---|
| 41(1) | A non-citizen may acquire a lease in land, subject to Article 237(2)(c) of the Constitution. |
| 41(2) | A lease of five years or more acquired by a non-citizen must be registered under the Registration of Titles Act. |
| 41(3) | No lease to a non-citizen may exceed 99 years. |
| 41(4) | Subject to the rest of the section, a non-citizen shall not acquire or hold mailo or freehold land. |
| 41(5) | A non-citizen who held land as a lessee on conversion under the Land Reform Decree 1975, immediately before the Constitution came into force, is treated as holding a 99-year lease from 1 June 1975. |
| 41(6) | A citizen who holds freehold or mailo land and then ceases to be a citizen holds a 99-year lease from the date citizenship ends. |
| 41(7) and (8) | Defines who counts as a non-citizen, including companies, and what "controlling interest" means. |
Subsection (6) matters for Ugandans who give up their citizenship. It does not apply to someone who keeps Ugandan citizenship and registers as a dual citizen. How that works is covered on the dual citizenship page linked above.
Which companies count as foreign?
Buying through a company does not get round the rule. Section 41(7) of the Land Act defines a non-citizen to include:
- a corporate body in which the controlling interest lies with non-citizens;
- a body without shares in which decision-making lies with non-citizens;
- a company in which the shares are held in trust for non-citizens; and
- a company incorporated in Uganda whose articles of association do not contain a provision restricting the transfer or issue of shares to non-citizens.
"Controlling interest" means, for a company with shares, that the majority of shares are held by people who are not citizens. For a company without shares, it means decisions are taken by a majority of members who are not citizens.
The last limb is the one that catches Ugandan-owned companies. A Monitor article of 8 February 2022, written by the managing partner of Signum Advocates, reports that the Court of Appeal held in the Biyinzika case that a foreign company cannot own mailo, freehold or customary land. The same article says a company is foreign for land purposes if its articles do not restrict share transfers to non-citizens, even when Ugandans hold the majority of shares, and that most Ugandan-owned companies lack such a clause. If you plan to hold land through a company, ask your advocate to read the articles against section 41(7) before the company signs anything. More detail is in Owning Land Through a Company in Uganda.
What does a lease mean in practice for a buyer?
A lease is a right to use and hold land for a fixed term. It is not the same as owning the land outright. A few practical points follow from the law above, and you should confirm each with an advocate for your plot:
- Who grants the lease. The lessor is the person or body that holds the title and grants the lease. Ask who the lessor is and see their title.
- How many years remain. A "99-year lease" that began 40 years ago has about 59 years left. The 99 years is the maximum for a non-citizen, not a promise of what you are being sold.
- Registration. A lease of five years or more must be registered. An unregistered lease is a weaker position, so ask for the registered lease document and search the title.
- Conditions and rent. Read the lease conditions on use, development, rent and renewal. We do not publish standard figures for rent or renewal because they depend on the lessor and the lease.
- Resale. The next buyer will value the plot by the years left on the lease, so a short remaining term can lower what you can sell for.
Apartments in Kampala raise similar questions about the unit's tenure. Our page Can a Foreigner Buy an Apartment in Uganda? covers that case.
How should a foreign buyer check the title and the seller?
The due diligence steps are the same as for a citizen, with extra attention to tenure. Search the title on the Ministry of Lands public portal (UGX 10,000 per search, accessed November 2026), confirm the tenure type, and ask whether the seller can grant you a lease out of the title. If the seller is a company, check the articles under section 41(7), because a foreign-controlled seller or buyer changes what can be registered.
URA's rule on Tax Identification Numbers also applies: for land worth UGX 10 million or more, the buyer and the seller each need a TIN, and URA lists a passport as the required identification for a non-citizen's TIN application. If you are a Ugandan abroad rather than a foreigner, see the How to Buy Land in Uganda From Abroad (12 Steps) sequence, or read how people in the United Kingdom buy property in Uganda from UK.
On Land & Property, sellers and agents record the tenure, and in our 3 November 2026 snapshot 18 of 21 plot listings were recorded as mailo, 1 as freehold and 2 did not state it. Ask for the tenure before you spend money, and if you want someone to check the plot with you, book an escorted site visit. You can also browse plot listings to see what is offered.
What are the legal limits of this page?
This page reflects the Land Act text and sources we could read in November 2026. We were not able to open the full text of Article 237 of the Constitution on the official site, so the Article 237(2)(c) point here rests on the Land Act's own cross-reference to it. Courts interpret company rules, and the Court of Appeal decision on foreign companies is reported through a lawyer's commentary, not read by us in full. Rules can also change. This is general information, not legal advice. Have a Ugandan advocate confirm tenure and company status before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy freehold land?
No. Section 41(4) of the Land Act (2023 revised edition) says a non-citizen shall not acquire or hold mailo or freehold land. A non-citizen may acquire a lease, so a foreign buyer usually takes a lease out of the owner's title. Confirm the arrangement with an advocate before paying.
How long can a foreigner lease land?
Up to 99 years. Section 41(3) says a non-citizen shall not be granted a lease exceeding 99 years. A lease of five years or more must be registered under the Registration of Titles Act. Check how many years remain on any existing lease you are offered.
Is a company with Ugandan shareholders treated as Ugandan?
Not automatically. Under section 41(7) a Ugandan company whose articles do not restrict share transfers to non-citizens counts as a non-citizen, even if Ugandans hold the shares. Ask an advocate to check the articles before the company buys land.
Does a foreigner married to a Ugandan own land?
We found no provision in section 41 that gives a non-citizen spouse freehold rights. The Land Act does protect spouses on family land through consent rules, but that is separate from who can hold freehold. Ask an advocate about your own situation.
What happens if a Ugandan owner gives up citizenship?
Section 41(6) says freehold or mailo land held by a citizen who ceases to be a citizen becomes a lease of 99 years from the date citizenship ends. This is why people with Ugandan land should take advice before renouncing citizenship.
Sources
- Land Act, Cap. 236 (revised edition, 31 December 2023), section 41, ULII / Laws.Africa (accessed 2026-11)
- Can foreign companies own land in Uganda?, Daily Monitor (8 February 2022) (accessed 2026-11)
- How to conduct an online search using the Lands Public Portal (UgNLIS poster), Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (accessed 2026-11)
- TIN requirement for land transactions, Uganda Revenue Authority (accessed 2026-11)
- Individual TIN application: documents required, Uganda Revenue Authority (accessed 2026-11)