An Examination on the Right of Women on Inheritance and Ownership of Property in Marriage

Table of Contents

DECLARATION........................................................................................... i

APPROVAL ........................................................................................ ii

DEDICATION ...................................................................................... iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................. iv

CHAPTER ONE .......................................................................................

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 1

1.0 Background ...................................................................................... 1

1.2 Forced evictions and exclusion ............................................... 3

1.4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ............................................... 4

1.5 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY ........................................................ 5

1.6 SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH ........................................................ 6

1. HYPOTHESIS .......................................................................... 7

1.9 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................. 7

2.12 An examination on how the Current Municipal Law Evolved ......................................................... 16

1.13 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................... 27

1.14 Data Collection .............................................................................................................................. 27

1.15 Primary Data ................................................................................................................................. 27

1.16 Secondary Data .............................................................................................................................. 27

1.17 Documentary review ...................................................................................................................... 28

1.18 Ethical Consideration ..................................................................................................................... 28

1.19 Limitations of the study ................................................................................................................. 28

CHAPTER TWO .................................................................................................................................. 29

THE LEGAL FRAME WORKS ON THE WOMEN'S RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY IN MARRIAGE ......................................................................................................................................... 29

Article 26 of the same constitution provides to the effect that; ................................................................ 29

2.2 The Succession Act Chapterl62, Law of Uganda .............................................................................. 30

2.3 The Succession Act Chapterl62, Law of Uganda .............................................................................. 30

2.4 The Land Act Cap 227 Law ofUganda ............................................................................................ 31 VII

2.5 The Divorce Act Chapter 249 Law ofUganda .................................................................................. 31

2.6 The Administrative General's Act chapter 157 Law of Uganda ........................................................ 31

2.7 Customary Marriage (Registration) Act Cap 248, Law ofUganda .................................................... 32

2.8 Ugandan policy of women's right to land and property inheritance or succession law ....................... 32

2.9 INTESTATE SUCCESSION .......................................................................................................... 36

2.10 TESTATE SUCCESSION ............................................................................................................. 37

2.11 DIVORCE LAW .......................................................................................................................... 37

CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................................................................... 46

3.1 THE COMPULSION BETWEEN OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY IN UGANDA AND OTHER COUNTRIES ........................................................................................................................................ 46 Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 51

3.2 Why are women property rights important? .................................................................................. 51

3.3 What are the benefits of women property rights? .......................................................................... 51

3.4 What leads to the violation of women's property rights? ............................................................... 52

3.5 What are the consequences of women property right abuses? ...................................................... 52

3.6 Islamic Marriages ............................................................................................................................ 52

3. 7 Pending Legislation: The Marriage and Divorce Bill ........................................................................ 53

3.8 Wo1nen's Land Rights unddt Custom ............................................................................................... 53

3.9 Marital Practices .............................................................................................................................. 54

3.10 Unmarried women ................................................................................. , ....................................... 54

3.12 Divorced women ........................................................................................................................... 55

3.13 Cohabitating women ...................................................................................................................... 56

3.14 Women in Polygamous Unions ...................................................................................................... 56

CHALLENGES OF WOMEN AND THEIR RIGHT TO PROPERTY IN MARRIAGE ........................ 57

(GAPS, LOOPHOLES AND OVERLAPS) ........................................................................................... 57

3.15 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 57

3.16 Loopholes in Tue Law ............... , ................................................................................................... 57 

CHAPTER FOUR ................................................................................................................................ 62

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................. 62 viii

4.0 FINDINGS ...................................................................................................................................... 62

4.1 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................... 69

4.2 RECOMMENDATION ................................................................................................................... 64

REFERENCE ........................................................................................................................................ 72