Land Laws and their effect on Foreign Direct Investment in Uganda.

ABSTRACT The benefits of Foreiqn Direct fri vestment for economic development have been well established in the exk~ting literature. Foreign investors need land to conduct their business when they move to in vest in a certah7 locailty. Yet llttle, if any, land in Uganda is vacant, idle and undaimecL As a result, many companies experience difficulties securing land for their operations. The researcher therefore set out to examine the laws governing lano, particularly in respect of access to land and land ownership by foreiqn investors in Uganda by answering the following research questions; (I) What are the laws governing land access in Uganda. (ii~ What are the laws governing land ownership in Uganda. (iii) Is there a link between land access and land ownershi~i and foreign direct frivestment in Uganda? ThLs was done by reviewing the legal framework for land access, ownershi7 and the institutions put fri place for land administration and how they impacted FDI in Uganda. In particulai, assessment was made of the policy and operational framework in terms of how to obtain access to Ianc4 which ownershio riqhts accrue to foreiqn investors and what kind of protection isguaranteed to the r,~qhts acquired. Using interview Guide and Archival Analysis, has been established that there is- no policy framework to lay down the framework for the implementation of the laws and that forei~gn ownership of land though prohibited does not influence FDI inflow. On the other hano’, easy access to land can positively impact the inflow of FDI into the countr~ but this is- not the only factor to be considerecL