Buying Land in East Africa as a Foreigner: Compared

Where in East Africa can foreigners own land?

Nowhere on the same terms as citizens. In all four countries a foreign buyer gets a right to use land for a period, not a freehold title. The details differ, and so does how well we can check each rule. The table gives the headline rule and a confidence flag so you know how far to trust each row.

These are guides, not legal advice. Laws change, and we could not read the full text of every statute. Confirm with a local advocate before you pay.

What is the Uganda baseline?

Uganda is the one we read in the statute itself. Section 41 of the Land Act, in the 2023 revised edition, says that, subject to Article 237(2)(c) of the Constitution, a non-citizen may acquire a lease. A lease of five years or more must be registered under the Registration of Titles Act. A non-citizen shall not be granted a lease exceeding 99 years, and shall not acquire or hold mailo or freehold land.

The same section defines a non-citizen to include a corporate body in which the controlling interest lies with non-citizens, and a company incorporated in Uganda whose articles of association do not restrict the transfer or issue of shares to non-citizens. So a Ugandan company with no such clause can still count as foreign. This catches buyers who think a local company solves the problem. For the full rules, read can foreigners own land in Uganda: leasehold rules. If you are a Kenyan, Tanzanian or Rwandan buyer, see can a Kenyan buy land in Uganda. We found no source giving East African Community citizens a different land rule, so do not assume one.

What are the rules in Kenya?

A 2012 law-firm note from Hogan Lovells and Anjarwalla and Khanna says Article 65 of the Kenyan Constitution allows non-citizens to hold land only on leasehold, for not more than 99 years, and that section 107(3) of the Land Registration Act repeats the 99-year limit for leases granted to non-citizens. It says a body corporate is treated as a citizen only if it is wholly and exclusively owned by citizens, so foreign shareholders, even a minority, take the company out of the citizen category. Foreign directors alone do not.

The note also says a Kenyan citizen who buys from a foreigner buys only the 99-year leasehold, with no right to upgrade it to freehold, and that on expiry the land is offered to the previous lessee only if that person is a Kenyan citizen, under section 13(1) of the Land Act as it stood in 2012. Because that note is more than a decade old, check whether the Act has since been amended. Our Kenya land ownership guide goes further, including how sources differ on the 2010 conversion of foreign freeholds.

What are the rules in Tanzania?

A Clyde & Co article of March 2019 explains that Tanzanian land is general land, village land or reserved land. On general land a Granted Right of Occupancy runs for 33, 66 or 99 years. Under section 20(1) of the Land Act, non-citizens can be granted land only for investment under the Tanzania Investment Act. Under section 20(4), a Tanzanian company with majority non-citizen ownership is treated as a foreign company. A foreign investor then obtains a derivative right through the Tanzania Investment Centre, with a term 10 days shorter than the underlying right.

The same article says a foreign company cannot acquire a legal title to village land, and that title issuance can take a year or more, or two to three months for land already registered with the Centre. The Centre can also take land back if investment conditions are not met, with compensation for developments. So in Tanzania a foreign buyer needs an approved investment, not just a purchase price. Read Tanzania land ownership guide and what is a right of occupancy in Tanzania.

What are the rules in Rwanda?

The New Times analysis of Law No. 27/2021 of 10 June 2021 says that under the older 2013 law an emphyteutic lease for investment was limited to 49 years and for a residential house to 20 years, and that the new law extends both to 99 years. It adds that, under ministerial instructions of 9 September 2021, a foreigner may hold a plot for a single-family house in a residential area within the size and standards set by law. A larger plot, or more than one unit in a condominium building, needs an investment business plan approved by the competent authority.

Renewal depends on the type of lease. The article says a State lands lease of up to 99 years is renewable after assessment of how the land is used. Other research we read gave different lease terms, so treat Rwanda as the least settled row until we can read the law. See Rwanda land ownership guide.

Which country is easiest for a foreign buyer?

It depends on what you want to buy. If you want a home or a plot to build on, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda each give a route by lease, and Uganda and Kenya state the 99-year cap in the law. If you want to invest in a project, Tanzania has a defined route through the Tanzania Investment Centre but requires approval first. If you are buying for the long term, check how many years remain on any lease, because the next buyer values the plot by the years left.

Two points apply everywhere. First, a clean title and a real seller matter more than the label on the tenure. Read land scams across East Africa: common patterns before you pay. Second, a company structure rarely avoids the rule, since all four systems look at who controls the company.

What should an agent or investor do next?

Pick the country, then read its guide, then check the title and seller in that country's registry with a local advocate. Land & Property lists property in Uganda. We have no listings outside Uganda, so use the guides above for orientation and search our Uganda listings if you are buying here. If you are an agent or broker in Kenya, Tanzania or Rwanda who serves buyers looking at Uganda, you can join as a verified agent. We check identity with a National ID and a live selfie. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Listings available now

Live from Land & Property on 4 November 2026. Prices are the sellers' asking prices.

• 25 Decimals in Bunga at Ugx820m Buziga, Kampala · Plot UGX 820,000,000
• 470 acres in Kikyusa Kamira at Ugx10m per acre Kamira, Luwero · Farmland UGX 10,000,000 per acre
• 1 acre for sale in Kololo at $2,500,000 Kololo, Kampala · Plot UGX 9,250,000,000
• 150 acres in Kalongo Nakasongola at Ugx5.8m per acre Kalongo, Nakasongola · Farmland UGX 5,800,000 per acre
• 120 acres in Kisozi Nakaseke at Ugx6.5m per acre Nakaseke · Farmland UGX 6,500,000 per acre
• 300 acres Migyeera Nakasongola on tarmac at Ugx12m per acre Migyera, Nakasongola · Farmland UGX 12,000,000 per acre

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• East Africa Property Hub: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda
• Kenya Land Ownership Guide for Ugandan Investors
• Tanzania Land Ownership Guide for Ugandan Investors
• Rwanda Land Ownership Guide for Ugandan Investors
• Can Foreigners Own Land in Uganda? Leasehold Rules
• Land Scams Across East Africa: Common Patterns