Land is and remains Uganda's most valuable assel. Land tenure in Uganda is categorisedrninto four forms,' mailo land tenure, freehold tenure, leasehold and customOlY land tenure,rnThe Ugandan economy has been liberalised and is now mostly a private sector led economyrnand the role of government has shifled /I'om provider to enabler. This study set out to explorernthe contribution of land tenure towards social and economic empowerment of the low incomernearners. This research employs a qualitative methodology which seeks to see people'srnexperiences through their day-to -day lived experiences and generating a deeperrnunderstanding of the lives of low income earners. Key informant interviews, open endedrnsemi-structured questionnaires, non participant observation are some of the methods used torncollect data. Purposive sampling, snow balling, and random sampling are employed inrnidentifying respondents. The respondents chosen were 54 and they included home/housernowners, bank credit administrators, tenants, local council leaders, real estate companies andrnbrokers and sub-dividers.The study reveals the existence of formal and informal land markets in Nansana with therninformal sector being the key provider of land and housing to the low income earners in thernarea. Majority of the people in Nansana occupy crown or Buganda kingdom land which isrnuntitled land. Land tenure and housing offer social empowerment to low income earnersrnthrough improving their confidence and pride, getting them accepted in society and playing arndevelopmental role in their community,' it gives them a permanent address and helps them tornrealise lifelong aspirations. Economically, low income earners are empowered throughrndiversifying their incomes with the money earned from rents and saving would-be rentrnmoney, investing their savings in tangible assets like housing and land,' and being able tornsave their assets for use in old age where there is a lack of pension to live on and being ablernto have enough property to pass on to the children as inheritance andfor their sustenance.Effective utilisation of Land tenure and housing for the benefit of low income earners isrnimpeded by institutional challenges such as bureaucracy, corruption in land offices, the highrncosts of registering land,' the behaviour of sub-dividers which makes their habitats exhibitrnconditions that label them as informal selliements,' government's denial of their tenure .IÂ·tatusrnand denial of services such as finanCial support and credit in banks as well market failuresrnsuch as failure to accept the land agreements of the poor as col/ateral in banks. The studyrnproposes institutional reforms of the Lands ministry and Buganda Land Board,' land reformsrnsllch as expansion of leasehold tenure in urban areas,' financial reforms such as acceptancernof purchase agreements as collateral and inclusion of the poor in national housing financernprograms,' devising of new and innovative hollom-up planning mechanisms which involve allrnstakeholders as well as increasing the capacity of local councils, Buganda Land Board,rnPlanning departments and civil society bllilding within selliements.