The acquisition of land by foreigners in developing countries has emerged as a key mechanism for foreign direct investment (FDI). FDI is defined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as the category of international investment that reflects the objective of a resident entity in one economy to obtain a lasting interest in an enterprise resident in another economy.

Kenya is currently implementing a number of large scale infrastructure and development projects aimed at trans forming the country into a newly industrializing, middle-income country. For this, the government has had to compulsorily acquire large tracts of land upon which the infrastructure is set.

La comunidad de Santa María remite a un caso de lucha por la tierra en la que población de origen tacana (indígena) insiste en que el Estado le reconozca una determinada porción de territorio y bosque. Sus estrategias tienen que ver con las marchas para presionar a las autoridades y la consecución legal de tierras.

Context and background:  The essential emerging reality from the statutory-versus-customary tenure debate is that both customary and statutory tenure systems have faults and good merits.

Community land and natural resources lie at the heart of social, political and economic life in much of rural Africa. While the Zambian government acknowledges customary tenure, it has not established required legislation needed to secure it and support to communities in their efforts to protect their lands.

This chapter investigated threats of statutory tenure on customary land. The study was primarily qualitative in nature and adopted a case study approach. Using evidence from Chamuka Chiefdom in Chisamba District, Central Province, the paper concludes that there are various threats of statutory tenure on customary land. These include traditional leaders losing control over land, displacements, land disputes, investors acquire more land than what is demarcated to them by traditional leaders, traditional leaders’ not consulting their community members, corruption, and tenure insecurity.