Overview:
At the 20-year commissioning of Akright City, President Museveni backed planned housing developments while the estate's founders called for government infrastructure support
KAJJANSI — President Yoweri Museveni has called on private real estate developers to aggressively target Uganda’s expanding middle class by constructing more master-planned urban communities.
The president made the remarks in a speech delivered by Lands, Housing and Urban Development Minister Judith Nabakooba during the 20-year anniversary and commissioning of Akright City in Kajjansi Town Council, Wakiso District.
Museveni noted that decades of economic recovery, diversification, industrialization and value addition have expanded the local economy, creating a lucrative environment for private housing investments.
As the economy continues to grow, Museveni urged all players in the real estate sector to tap into the middle-income cohort and develop more affluent neighborhoods.
To incentivize further private real estate development, the president committed to sustained state expenditure on vital infrastructure, particularly electricity. He noted that Uganda’s power generation capacity has scaled from 60 megawatts in 1986 to over 2,000 megawatts today, with active investments in hydro, solar, gas, wind, nuclear and geothermal energy.
However, the president warned that informal housing growth and cultural practices like land fragmentation through inheritance threaten commercial urban layout models. He challenged developers and families to maintain large, unified plots to ensure long-term commercial viability, using Akright City as a prime example of sustained value.
The business limitations of large-scale estate development were highlighted by Akright City founders Anatoli Kamugisha and Alex Kamukama, who revealed significant operational bottlenecks despite two decades in business.
Kamugisha noted that heavy borrowing for infrastructure has created financial constraints and slowed down capitalization. Currently, only 8% of the estate’s 64-kilometer road network is paved.
To resolve these capitalization issues and accelerate the next phase of development, Kamugisha announced that the company is looking to bring in fresh capital by relinquishing up to 55% of its equity to institutional investors or the government.
The company also asked the Lands Ministry for assistance in resolving protracted court processes, land disputes and fraudulent caveats that delay the issuance of titles and affect real estate transactions.
Nabakooba pledged to present the financial and infrastructural proposals of the developers to the president. The commercial model of Akright City also received backing from local lawmakers, including Busiro South MP Kenan Ssozi Opio and Buliisa County MP Allan Atugonza, who urged the government to partner with private developers to benchmark sustainable housing models across the country.