THE LEGAL REGIME ON WOMEN PROPERTY RIGHTS IN UGANDA "A CRITIQUE"

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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

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

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

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

LIST OF ACRYNOMS ................................................................................................................. vii

LIST OF LEGAL INSTRUMENTS ............................................................................................... ix

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... x

CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................ 1

1.0 General Introduction .................................................................................................................. !

1.1 Background to the study ............................................................................................................ 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................................... 7

1.3 Objectives of the Study .............................................................................................................. 8

1.3.1 General Objective ................................................................................................................... 8

1.3.2 Specific objectives .................................................................................................................. 8

1.4 Research Questions .................................................................................................................... 8

1.5 Scope ofthe study ...................................................................................................................... 9

1.6 Significance of the study ........................................................................................................... 9

1.7 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 10

1.8 Arrangement of the Chapters ................................................................................................... 11

CHAPTER TWO ......................................................................................................................... 12

LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................... 12

2.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. l2

CHAPTER THREE: ................................................................................................................... 30

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE LAWS RELATING TO WOMEN PROPERTY

RIGHTS IN UGANDA ................................................................................................................ 30

3.0 lntroduction .............................................................................................................................. 30

3.1 International Law on Married Women Property Rights .......................................................... 30

3.1.1 The United Declaration on Human Rights (1948) (UDI-IR) ................................................. 30

3.1.2 The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979) (CEDAW) ................................................. 31

3.1.3 The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) I 966 ............................ 32

3.1.4 The African Charter on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR) 1981 .................................. 33

3.2 Domestic Legislation on Married Women Property Rights .............................................. 33

3.2.1 The Constitution ofthe Republic ofUganda 1995 ............................................................... 34

3.2.2 The Land Act 2010 (as Amended) ........................................................................................ 36

3.2.3 The Mortgage Act ................................................................................................................. 39

3.2.4 Customary Law ..................................................................................................................... 41

3.2.6 The Succession Act Cap 139 ................................................................................................ 43

3.2.7 The Registration of Titles Act (Cap 230) ............................................................................. 44

3.2.8 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... .44

CHAPTER FOUR: ...................................................................................................................... 45

CHALLENGES FACING THE ENFORCEMENT OF WOMEN PROPERTY RIGHTS IN UGANDA ................................................................ 45

4.0 lntroduction .............................................................................................................................. 45

4.1 Challenges facing women property rights ............................................................................. ..45

4.2 Pros and Cons of Asserting Married Women Property Right ............................................... ..47

4.4 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. .49

CHAPTER FIVE: ........................................................................ , ............................................... 50

RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION ....................................................................... 50

5.1 lntroduction .............................................................................................................................. 50

5.2 Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 50

5.4 Recommendations for Future Research ................................................................................... 51

5.5 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 51

Bibliography .................................................................................................................................. 52 

ABSTRACT 

This study " The legal regimes on women property rights in Uganda a case of Kampala" was specifically designed to examine; the efficacy of the law and policy frameworks on married women in relation to their property rights; find out the gender related biases that challenge the development and enforcement of married women property rights in Uganda; establish the extent to which the married women property rights requirement is being implemented; as well as investigate the impact of married women's property right assertion on family property protection to recommend appropriately. To comprehend this, literature review of the specific variables was carried out and the study was mainly centred on book and documentary evidences as well as primary data sources thus was qualitatively driven. The study established that the legal regime on married women property rights in Uganda have limited recognition because of the customary law system which usually overrides statutory provisions in particular that funds to finance and pursue such cases are unavailable. That the laws are good but their enforcement is very weak and thus always overridden with patriarchy notions that overpower equality. The study concludes that married women remain vulnerable in the assertion of property rights because their avenues to economic empowerment are similarly restricted by the very people from whom they ought to claim their rights. Precisely dependability on spouses hinders their assertion on claims over family property. The study recommends; legal literacy emphasis to reduce land bureaucracies; establishing a monitoring and evaluation directorate based on land reforms; adopting strategies that treat women as major actors not aid recipients; redefining the law on property rights; empower women in all spheres and to not only focus on policy development but improve access to land and credit for married women.