How Uganda is scheming for improved housing

Uganda faces a significant housing deficit estimated at 2.4 million housing units, with an annual demand of 200,000 units.

The shortfall, according to the experts is aggravated by the rapid population growth and flourishing urbanisation in different areas, including those around Kampala city.

They argue that the various segments of the population living in informal settlements undermine the quality of the country’s population.

As part of the efforts to address the housing setbacks, the Government is trying to interest the private sector in joining efforts to address the huge housing deficit Uganda faces.

Luweero-Triangle starting point
The government in a public-private partnership is planning to construct over 120,000 low-cost houses in the Luweero Triangle and discussions are in advanced stages.

According to internal government correspondents, President Yoweri Museveni has since endorsed government-private sector collaboration on housing improvement.

The President reasons that the Government and private companies’ employees can, among others, use salary loans to acquire houses at an affordable cost in their local areas. 

Speaking during the Labour Day national celebrations at Nakale playgrounds in Nakapiripirit district on May 1, 2025, Museveni disclosed the plan to build low-cost houses across the country, targeting workers.

“We also talked about the low-cost housing for workers and me, I am not a joker,” Museveni said while disclosing some of the content of his meeting with the workers' leadership at State House Entebbe on the eve of Labour Day celebrations.

A senior official at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development confirmed government-private sector discussions co-ordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to achieve proper housing for Ugandans, starting with the Luwero Triangle.

The districts that make up greater Luwero-Triangle, include Luwero, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Mityana, Kiboga, Wakiso, Gomba, Mpigi, Butambala, Lwengo, Masaka, Kyotera, Kakumiro, Hoima, Masindi and Fort Portal.

“We estimate the Luwero-Triangle housing project, mainly financed by the private sector, can cost around shillings 10.8 trillion. This is when we estimate each single unit costing at least shillings 90 million,” the official said.

He added, “We hope the investors to support BUBU (Buy Uganda Build Uganda) by buying local materials such as tiles from Kapeka, iron sheets, iron bars, steel, nails, bricks, paint, sand and local labour.”

Business woo Museveni on housing
While at Mbirizi play grounds in Lwengo district in March last year, prominent city businessman Hajji Hassan Bulwadda introduced to the President the idea of low-cost houses.

This was during a fundraising ceremony to build a hospital where the President presided over as the chief guest.

The beneficiaries of the houses, according to the government plan, will include teachers, doctors, local government workers and corporate workers.

Luwero Triangle was instrumental during the NRA/NRM bush war (1981-1986) since it experienced most of the fighting, which ushered in the Museveni-led government.

“Constructing houses for the people of Luwero is a good Idea because the people of Luwero paid with their blood and everything for this government, and we expect much more. The Government can subsidise prices for these houses to make them more affordable for the common people,” Hussen Mayanja one of the bush war collaborators in Luwero district said.

Case study
Currently in Kenya, President William Ruto’s administration is implementing a low-cost housing programme for Kenyans to address the challenge of limited and poor housing.

The administration aims to build 250,000 affordable housing units per year. While the programme has faced challenges, the goal is to deliver a significant number of low-cost homes to Kenyans

In South Africa, the government has since provided between two and three million subsidised housing units known as RDP housing since 1994, when the country got independence.

The human settlement sector has also provided over 3.4 million housing units, including stand-alone houses in multiple-story buildings, service sites, and housing units.

600 houses for Kiteezi survivors
The Government says it is set to construct over 630 houses for the survivors of the Kiteezi landfill collapse at Ddundu in Mukono district and has since contracted Bulwadda Estates Ltd to execute the work.

The Government is also pushing to improve the housing and accommodation of the security forces.

For instance, the police plan to construct 53,000 housing units across the country in order to address the significant accommodation challenges faced by the police officers and their families.

The force has already started constructing 12000 housing unit across the country.

This financial year, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) secured shillings 50 billion for the construction of accommodation facilities for the soldiers.

The UPDF is striving to achieve about 30,000 housing units for various barracks as part of a broader project, and since 2019, the plan has been to construct 6000 housing units annually for five years consecutively.

However, according to the army, the plan was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought the global economies to their needs.

The President has since directed that the housing projects of the police and the UPDF be executed by the UPDF Engineering Brigade.