Bridging the gap between law and real estate
Ntegeka said that legal practitioners need to understand the Real Estate Bill, 2024, currently before Parliament, which seeks to streamline Uganda’s real estate sector and provide an opportunity for professionals to contribute to its development.
Some of the guests who attended at the conference. (Photos by Maureen Nakatudde) (2)
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As Uganda’s real estate sector continues to expand, industry leaders are calling for stronger collaboration between legal experts, regulators, developers, and investors to address challenges affecting property transactions and investment.
This conversation will take centre stage at the inaugural Law and Real Estate Precursor Conference, scheduled for August 3 and 4, 2026, at a time when the sector is grappling with issues ranging from land fraud and regulatory compliance to complex property financing arrangements.
The conference, organised by Baylor Global Real Estate in partnership with the Uganda Law Society, the Association of Real Estate Agents Uganda (AREA Uganda), the Uganda Society of Architects, and the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), was officially announced during a press conference held at Méstil Hotel & Residences on Nsambya Hill, Kampala, on July 16, 2026.
Fridaus Nambi, Managing Director of Baylor Global Real Estate Co. Ltd, said the conference will provide a platform to address critical gaps between legal frameworks and real estate practice in Uganda.
She described it as a professional forum bringing together stakeholders at the intersection of multi-billion-shilling property development, financial regulation, and statutory law.
"It is a deliberate, structured response to the most consequential gap in Uganda's real estate ecosystem: the disconnect between legal frameworks, investment strategy, and market compliance," Nambi said.
Fridaus Nambi, Managing Director of Baylor Global Real Estate Co. Ltd 
She added that the conference will equip senior market players with knowledge of the legal, financial, technical, and regulatory tools required to navigate property development and investment successfully.
Simon Ntegeka, a paralegal at the Uganda Law Society, said the conference will also help lawyers build expertise in real estate matters.
He added that legal practitioners need to understand the Real Estate Bill, 2024, currently before Parliament, which seeks to streamline Uganda’s real estate sector and provide an opportunity for professionals to contribute to its development.
Addressing Uganda’s real estate growth challenges
Uganda is experiencing rapid urbanisation, digital transformation, and increased investment in real estate, particularly within the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area and surrounding districts.
According to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development’s report, Housing Conditions in Uganda: An Investment Opportunity, 2025, more than one million Ugandans are born annually, increasing demand for housing. The report notes that with a population growth rate of 2.9 percent and an urbanisation growth rate of 5.4 percent, Uganda needs to construct approximately 300,000 housing units annually to address the country’s 2.6 million housing deficit.
Nambi said the conference was conceived to create a platform where legal experts and real estate stakeholders can work together to support sustainable sector growth.
"Uganda's real estate and construction sector has become one of the most dynamic contributors to national output, driven by rapid urbanisation in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area," she explained.
She noted that the sector is being shaped by an expanding mortgage and asset-backed finance market, condominium developments, oil-and-gas-related infrastructure corridors, and rising investment from pension funds, banks, and diaspora investors.
However, she said growth has also exposed persistent challenges, including title fraud, land registry disputes, and failures to comply with physical planning and environmental approval requirements.
The conference will address issues such as poorly structured joint ventures, off-plan property sales, foreclosure and mortgage enforcement challenges, and the shortage of professionals with expertise in both the commercial and statutory aspects of property transactions.
Intellectual property and professional development
The conference will also explore the role of intellectual property in real estate, particularly among architects and other professionals involved in property design and development.
Anthony Kakooza, Deputy Chairperson of the Leadership Code Tribunal and an Intellectual Property and Cyber Law expert, said many architects do not fully appreciate the value of intellectual property rights attached to their designs.
Sanjay Thakkar, a board member of AREA Uganda, said some brokers avoid professional associations because of limited awareness about the support and resources available.
"They do not know that asking for information is not charged," he said. "Awareness must be created among brokers and clients alike so that people understand the importance of joining professional associations."
Thakkar added that the conference aims to promote consumer protection and help prevent people from purchasing unsuitable or fraudulent properties.
The importance of due diligence
Moses Ssekitto, Principal Registrar at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD), emphasised that the success of land transactions depends largely on proper due diligence.
"If it is done rightly, 90 percent of the problems will be sorted," Ssekitto said. "This will ultimately achieve the goal of economic development, and that is what the conference targets."
Ntegeka said due diligence remains a major concern, especially for customers who have fallen victim to fraudulent land transactions.
He noted that members of the Ugandan diaspora also face challenges when investing in property because many cannot easily verify transactions from abroad.
“Most of them, when they send their money here, they also have a problem when it comes to due diligence. The conference will answer their questions,” he said.
Who will attend
The Law and Real Estate Precursor Conference will bring together a wide range of professionals and stakeholders, including real estate developers, project managers, institutional property investors, commercial banks, mortgage lenders, asset-backed financing directors, corporate attorneys, managing partners, legal consultants, chartered valuers, land surveyors, physical planning experts, regulators, compliance officers, and government officials.
The organisers say the conference will provide a platform for building stronger partnerships, improving professional capacity, and creating a more transparent and secure real estate environment in Uganda.