Quality of life has improved in Uganda

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OPINION

By Josepha Jabo

Life expectancy, for the average Ugandan, has increased to 68 years. Before 1986 (the year the National Resistance Movement came to power), the average life expectancy in Uganda was 45 years.

Uganda was ranked the happiest country in East Africa in the 2022 World Happiness Report, although happiness is relative. What makes you happy might not necessarily make me happy because people have different expectations in life.

Nevertheless, Ugandans are building more sophisticated houses that portray a luxury lifestyle. The typical bungalow architecture, with low ceilings, boys’ quarters and hedge fences are a thing of the past. Nowadays, in Uganda’s real estate, developers are building apartment blocks, smart apartments, duplexes, double-storied mansions, maisonettes and gated communities like Pearl Marina Estates, which is a lakeside city along the shores of Lake Victoria in Garuga, Entebbe.

High-end apartments (whose monthly rent ranges from sh800,000 to sh1 million) come with amenities such as instant water heaters, rainforest showers, smart toilets, built-in wardrobes, or walk-in closets, mood lighting, pantries, washing machines, CCTV cameras for security and these apartments go fast. If you hesitate to make a deposit, a moneyed foreigner or an urban refugee just might beat you to it!

Uganda is experiencing economic progress on a scale that would be impossible without prevailing peace.

The Africa Wealth Report 2025 states that as of June 2025, Uganda had 1,600 dollar millionaires and 5 centi-millionaires, what the French call the ‘nouveau riche.’ On the other side of the spectrum, in areas where successfully implemented, poverty alleviation government programmes, such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), have contributed to poverty reduction.

In May 2025, Uganda became Africa’s largest exporter of coffee.

In January 2026, Uganda was ranked first in East Africa’s financial markets and third in Africa’s financial markets, according to the 2025 Absa Africa Financial Markets Index.

Another noteworthy achievement is that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ranked Uganda the seventh fastest-growing economy in the world and the fastest-growing economy in Africa in 2025. In addition, according to the World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects, January 2026 report, Uganda is projected as one of the fastest-growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa in 2026 with a 6.4% forecasted economic real GDP growth.

Peace enables socioeconomic development, creating a stable investment climate in Uganda, boosting investor confidence and increasing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), to the extent that Uganda has won international investment awards. For example, in April 2025, Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) was awarded ‘Runner-up for Best Investment Promotion Agency in Africa’ during the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Global Awards 2025 held at Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace.

According to the Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA), Uganda now has approximately 3,800 hotels across the country. We also have many eco lodges dotted around the country and a vibrant tourism sector.

In these peaceful times, Uganda has embarked on a number of ambitious building projects. Hoima City Stadium, completed in December 2025, has done us proud as a sporting nation. The 1,443 km East African Crude Oil Pipeline is 79% complete, and the renovation of Nakivubo Channel is underway.

Moreover, Uganda has a plethora of supermarkets, shopping malls, markets, trading centres, interior design shops, schools, health centres, hospitals, industrial parks, like Kapeeka Industrial Park; factories, roads, expressways and flyovers are being constructed countrywide on the national road network. Popular shopping malls in Kampala include: Garden City, Oasis Mall, Acacia Mall, Pioneer Mall, Arena Mall, Forest Mall and Kingdom Kampala. Uganda also has big restaurant chains like Cafe Javas aka CJs.

Uganda is a haven of peace. Uganda wouldn’t be the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa if it weren’t a peaceful country. According to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency’s August 4, 2025, report, ‘Since the start of 2025, an average of 600 people per day have arrived in the country, with numbers expected to reach two million by year’s end. Already Africa’s largest refugee-hosting country and the third largest globally, Uganda is currently home to 1.93 million refugees.’ Moreover, Uganda was fortunate not to experience the 2026 post-election violence, as was the case in Tanzania.

Ugandans can sleep peacefully in their beds at night, or spend the whole night partying in bars and nightclubs (Kampala has been nicknamed the ‘Party Capital of East Africa’) or praying in churches all night long during overnight prayers, without fearing for their lives. Therefore, we should not take this peace for granted. Since God has blessed Uganda with peace, we should pray it prevails for many years to come.

These achievements notwithstanding, Uganda’s public transport sector needs to be revamped. This country needs to move on from taxis (matatus) and bodabodas. The Kayoola EVS City Bus, with bus stages, plying city routes, following a timetable and subsidised travel cards would be a good place to start.

The writer works for Uganda Media Centre