Overview:

Businessman Drake Lubega justifies commercial rent increases in Kampala, citing substantial hikes in property taxes and operational expenses. He calls for swift, depoliticized talks.

KAMPALA, UGANDA (Oct. 2, 2025) — City businessman Francis Drake Lubega is actively seeking dialogue with commercial traders to end a rent dispute that sparked recent protests, even as he defended the fee adjustments as an “unavoidable” response to rising operational costs.

Lubega, who owns several properties affected by the temporary business closures, acknowledged the traders’ right to protest and regretted the disruption. However, he insisted the decision was driven by financial necessity. “The decision to adjust the rent fees is a direct response to a substantial and unavoidable increase in our operational expenses,” Lubega said in a statement.

He detailed that the cost increases stem primarily from three areas: significant hikes in local and national property taxes, heavy investment in enhanced security measures, and escalating utility and maintenance costs. Lubega argued that these factors have made the previous rent structure unsustainable while trying to maintain the high standard of space and services tenants expect.

To find a mutually acceptable solution, Lubega announced that his team has already reached out to recognized trader leaders to schedule a meeting immediately. The goal, he said, is to “sit down, present our cost analysis transparently, and, most importantly, listen to their concerns with the aim of finding a mutually acceptable path forward and achieving harmonization on this matter.”

While pushing for talks, Lubega urged all tenants to “resume business operations immediately to prevent further loss of income for themselves and disruption to the city’s economy.”

The businessman cautioned against injecting political elements into the negotiations, requesting that all parties refrain from politicizing the issue. He stressed that the rent adjustment is based “solely on economic realities and operational costs, not political considerations,” adding that introducing politics would only “delay a resolution and complicate the genuine issues at hand.”