Change of Use and Physical Planning in Uganda
Updated 3 November 2026 · Land & Property editorial team
In Uganda, a material change in the use of land or buildings counts as development under the Physical Planning Act 2010, so it needs development permission from a physical planning committee before you start. As of November 2026, the Act as enacted has district and urban committees recommend change of land use applications to the national Board. Check zoning and title conditions before you buy land for a project.
- What counts as development
- Any material change in the use or density of land or buildings, or subdivision (Physical Planning Act 2010, s.2)
- Permission needed
- Development permission from a physical planning committee (s.33)
- Penalty for developing without it
- Fine up to 48 currency points, up to 2 years in prison, or both (s.33(2))
- Change of land use route
- District and urban committees recommend applications to the Board (ss.10 and 12, as enacted)
- KCCA zoning reference
- Kampala Physical Development Plan 2013, on the KCCA website
What is the difference between plan approval and change of use?
They answer two different questions. Plan approval asks whether a building is safe and fits the rules: KCCA, for example, asks you to engage a registered architect and submit drawings, and inspects each stage of construction (source 2). Change of use asks whether the land may be used for a different purpose than the one it is approved for, such as turning farmland into a housing estate or a house into a shop.
The Physical Planning Act 2010 defines development to include the making of any material change in the use or density of buildings or land, or the subdivision of land (source 1, s.2). So a change of use is itself development, even if no wall is built. A person must not carry out development in a planning area without development permission from a physical planning committee (s.33(1)). The application form for development permission asks, if the proposal consists only of a change of use with no building operations, for the exact nature of the change. Approval of drawings alone does not cover a use that the plan does not allow.
Who approves a change of use?
Under the Act as enacted, a district physical planning committee recommends to the Board development applications for change of land use (s.10(b)), and an urban physical planning committee does the same (s.12(b)). The Board is the National Physical Planning Board. Applications for development permission are made to the relevant local government, which forwards them to the physical planning committee (s.34(2)). In Kampala the city authority, KCCA, administers development control, and its Physical Development Plan 2013 is published on its website (source 2).
The Act has been amended since 2010, and later editions may renumber the sections, so check the current text and ask the planning office which body decides your case. We could not confirm from a source we opened what the amendments changed, and the KCCA fee page we opened lists no fee for change of use (source 3). Ask for the fee in writing.
Can I build a commercial building on residential land?
Not simply because you own it. Whether you can depends on how the approved plan zones the land and on any conditions on the title. A committee considering an application must be bound by the approved regional or local physical development plan, have regard to the health, amenities and convenience of the community, and, for leasehold, have regard to special conditions in the lease (source 1, s.34(3)). If the change would affect adjacent land or conflicts with conditions registered against the title, the committee must publish notice of the application in the Gazette at the applicant's expense (s.35).
So the answer is: apply, wait for permission, and do not build first. Ask for the zoning of the plot in writing, read the title for restrictions, and tell a lawyer your intended use. If a shop is the plan, check access and planned roads with the guide at Check Planned Roads and Projects Before Buying Land, or start with Commercial Land for Sale in Uganda: Where and What to Check for commercial plots.
What happens if I change use without permission?
The Act makes it an offence to carry out development without permission, with a fine of up to forty eight currency points, or imprisonment of up to two years, or both. Dealings in connection with an unpermitted development are null and void, the development must stop, and the committee shall require the developer to restore the land, as much as possible, to its original condition (source 1, s.33). A committee can also serve an enforcement notice where development was done without permission or conditions were broken, and once the notice is served the development must stop. The owner can appeal to the next higher committee within the time in the notice, and the notice is stayed during the appeal (s.46).
The registrar of documents shall not register a document relating to the development of land unless development permission has been granted (s.45). That means a lease, mortgage or transfer tied to an unpermitted project can be refused. This matters for buyers who plan to borrow against the finished building.
What should I check before buying land for a project?
- Ask the planning office for the zoning of the plot and whether your intended use is allowed or needs a change of use.
- Read the title for conditions and, for leasehold, the lease terms. See How to Verify a Land Seller in Uganda and how to pay for land in Uganda safely before paying.
- Make the sale agreement conditional on permission where you can, so you can withdraw if the committee refuses.
- Check the road reserve and building line, using the reserve guide, and any wetland nearby.
- Visit the site: book an escorted site visit if you live abroad.
If you are comparing options, Buy Land or Buy a House in Uganda? sets out the trade-offs, and property auction purchases carry the same planning risk with less time to check. For inheritance, see Wills and Land in Uganda. To start looking, browse plot listings or return to Buy land in Uganda.
What could we not confirm?
We could not confirm the current text of the Act after later amendments, the fees for a change of use application, or how long a decision takes. Our section numbers are from the 2010 text as published on the KCCA website, and revised editions may number them differently. Treat this page as a map of the questions to ask, and confirm answers with the physical planning office and a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Can I build a commercial building on residential land?
Only with development permission, and only if the approved plan and the title conditions allow it. A change of use may be needed. Apply and wait for permission before building, or you risk a fine, an enforcement notice and demolition.
Who approves a change of use?
Under the Physical Planning Act 2010 as enacted, district and urban physical planning committees recommend change of land use applications to the national Board. Later amendments mean you should ask the planning office which body decides.
Is a change of use the same as plan approval?
No. Plan approval deals with the building drawings. Change of use deals with the purpose of the land, and the Act treats a material change of use as development needing permission.
What is the penalty for developing without permission?
Under section 33 of the 2010 Act, a fine of up to forty eight currency points, imprisonment of up to two years, or both, plus a duty to restore the land. Check the current edition for any change.
Sources
- The Physical Planning Act 2010, KCCA (Act text) (accessed 2026-11)
- Development control FAQs, Kampala Capital City Authority (accessed 2026-11)
- Physical planning fees, Kampala Capital City Authority (accessed 2026-11)