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KAMPALA - One of the leading real estate developers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has asked National Housing and Construction Company to immediately set the ball rolling in a new multi-billion partnership to construct 200 residential and commercial units in Kampala.

Andrea Nucera, the managing director of Reportage Properties, one of the leading real estate companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has entered a partnership to construct 200 residential and commercial units on a partnership with the National Housing.

The project, worth approximately sh116.3b ($30m) will be executed the National Housing land at Bukoto White Flats along Old Kira Road in Kampala city. 

It will have space for play areas, swimming, and other things that will bring modernity to the area.

The investor has committed to invest up to $25m out of the total cost of $30m, financing the biggest part of the project.

The pilot project is anticipated to be executed in a maximum period of two years, with the investor asking National Housing to immediately kick-start the project, saying the money was available for the initial investment. 

He pledged to release sh4.6b ($1.2m) to finance the initial groundwork for the project including designing, studies, and approvals before the actual construction starts.

According to Nucera, the company has other projects already running in Kampala and overall, the company will inject sh135.5b (approx.$35m) in the first phase of its total investment in Uganda.

According to Nucera, the company has other projects already running in Kampala and overall, the company will inject sh135.5b (approx.$35m) in the first phase of its total investment in Uganda. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

In the second phase, he explained, he would invest an additional sh278.8b (approx. $72m), which will come to a total of sh414.3b (approx. $107m).

The other ongoing projects in Kampala include a 14-floor apartment along Upper Mawanda Road, the tallest building in the area, which is scheduled to have Dubai-style finishing and lifestyle amenities. 

It will have a total of 69 units, out of which 64 are residential, and five commercial units, and is expected to be ready in the next 20 months.

“For us, we are set to start on this project immediately, it is up to National Housing to inform us that they are ready,” he said, adding that the company can work on multiple projects using other contractors.

Based in Abu Dhabi, the company, according to Nucera, has operations in many parts of the world, including Turkey and Egypt. “We are now looking towards growing and expanding our business with our friend, National Housing,” he explained.

He assured the National Housing team that the company could build modern villas and sell them to people at affordable rates, something they had successfully done in Egypt, Turkey, and other places.

Andrea Nucera (R), the managing director of Reportage Properties, one of the leading real estate companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) shaking hands with Eng. Kenneth Kaijuka, the CEO of National Housing.

Eng. Kenneth Kaijuka, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Housing Uganda said that the project is a ‘mixed-use’, which is strategically located next to KFC, which he said will provide commercial facilities on the ground and first floors.

“In other words, we would be having goods and retail shops that will serve the community around, but above the second floor and going above, we will have residential units,” he said in an interview soon after leading the investors on a tour of the land. The green space is in the middle of the White Flats and adjacent to the Brown Flats.

Earlier, Eng. Kaijuka and his senior technical staff had cordial discussions with the investor to seal the deal. The meeting was attended by Reportage Properties Chief Executive Officer for East Africa, Alkeshkumar Rajput, and Uganda’s Consul General to Dubai, Henry Mayega solicited the investors from UAE.

The national housing team included the chairperson of the board and former minister, Silvester Wanjusi Wasieba, the deputy CEO Derrick Mutegyeki, chief engineer Ambrose Musinguzi, and architect Geoffrey Mubiru.

Nucera, talks to officials of National Housing at Bukoto White Flats. Middle is Ambassador Henry Mayega.

The project at Bukoto will have other facilities intended to create a decent living for people, giving priority to residents occupying the old flats.

He assured the investors that they would move faster to ensure they implement all the proposed projects in Kampala before they can consider looking outside.

“With the growing numbers in this country, we take note that collaboration is critical for making sure that we provide decent housing for almost every Ugandan, and in this effort, we are collaborating with Reportage Properties from UAE to partner in our pilot project in Bukoto, which is a mixed-use development, that will have commercial and residential units.”

He promised that outside the Bukoto pilot project, the company would be doing with the investors several other projects in Kampala city and in other cities across Uganda.

“We have interacted with the investors, and they are coming from a higher-version market on issues of the design on a 50-50 percentage in the design,” he explained. Other issues include the acquisition of construction materials, which will be imported, and some locally sourced.

He said each side had made a business case in terms of financing and given the fact that National Housing has already provided the land and done local authorities approvals.

He appealed to Ugandans to start booking and making payments off plans once the project is advertised.

“Once people make their deposits, it will further make the project cheaper and affordable so that we can have units acquired by Ugandans faster,” he stated.

Wasieba pledged that the board would give the project a blessing, saying he was convinced that the investor was coming with serious business.

He said National Housing has an open cheque with President Yoweri Museveni and the Ministry of Finance, which he said was a shareholder in the company.

Ambassador Mayega said the government commissioned all envoys working at diplomatic missions abroad to bring in more investors, adding that Reportage Properties company was involved in serious business in several modern cities.

He assured them that the investor was open to further discussions for more projects.
Mutegyeki assured the investor that the real estate market in Uganda was still virgin with enough for multiple projects to ensure Ugandans get affordable housing.