Makerere University Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe has urged Uganda’s architects to document and preserve the country’s built-heritage, warning that the loss of historic structures and inadequate historical records risk erasing Africa’s contribution to global architecture.

Speaking as keynote speaker at the Uganda Society of Architects (USA) Annual Symposium on October 2, Nawangwe said African architectural achievements had often been overlooked or misrepresented, leaving the continent’s history vulnerable to interpretations that diminish its contribution to civilisation.

The symposium marked 60 years of professional fellowship and 30 years of regulated architectural practice in Uganda.

Nawangwe cited the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Kasubi Royal Tombs and the ruins of Bigo bya Mugenyi in central Uganda as examples of African architectural achievement whose histories need to be properly documented, attributed and preserved.

The Great Mud Mosque of Djenne in Mali. Built in 1200, it is one of the outstanding monuments to African architecture 

“Africa’s architectural heritage must be documented by Africans themselves. If we leave the narrative to others, we risk losing control of our own history and allowing misrepresentations to persist,” he said.

He criticised historical interpretations that have sought to detach major African monuments from the people and societies that produced them, citing debates over the origins of the Egyptian pyramids as an example of how Africa’s architectural legacy has been contested.

Nawangwe also referred to historical damage to the Great Sphinx of Giza, arguing that attempts to alter or reinterpret African monuments have sometimes reflected wider efforts to obscure their origins. He cited the Sphinx as an example, saying that its nose had been deliberately knocked off by the Germans because its African features contradicted narratives that sought to separate ancient Egypt’s monumental architecture from black African civilisation.

He said such acts reflected broader efforts to obscure the African origins of some of the continent’s most significant architectural achievements.

He challenged the view, which he attributed to some Western scholars, that significant African architecture was largely confined to North Africa, with Ethiopia marking its southern limit.

The ruins of Great Zimbabwe, Uganda’s royal tombs and other surviving sites across the continent, he said, demonstrate a much wider architectural tradition.

Part of the problem, Nawangwe argued, is that the historical record is uneven. In much of sub-Saharan Africa, builders relied on wood, grass and other locally available materials, many of which were less likely to survive centuries of exposure than stone structures.

“The fact that some of these buildings have disappeared does not mean that the architectural traditions did not exist,” he said, calling for greater research into the materials, construction methods and cultural influences that shaped African settlements.

He singled out the Kasubi Royal Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as an important example of Uganda’s architectural ingenuity. The complex demonstrates how traditional materials and building techniques were used to create structures of considerable cultural, historical and architectural significance.

Nawangwe also presented a historical perspective on Uganda’s architectural development, tracing its traditions from the precolonial period through colonial rule to contemporary practice, including the development of formal architectural training at Kyambogo Technical College.

He raised the possibility of historical connections between communities across the continent, including the movement of peoples and the exchange of building techniques. Such theories, he suggested, warranted further investigation, although they require archaeological and historical evidence before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Beyond historical preservation, Nawangwe urged architects to play a stronger role in shaping Uganda’s urban development, particularly as cities expand and demand for housing and commercial property increases.

Architects, he said, operate at the intersection of design, engineering and public health, making their contribution essential to the creation of safe, functional and sustainable living spaces.

He called on the profession to establish a stronger presence in urban centres outside Kampala so that more communities can access professional architectural services.

The expansion of architectural services, he argued, should go hand in hand with efforts to protect historic buildings from demolition or inappropriate redevelopment.

A close-up view of the Kasubi Royal Tombs shows the intricate beams that make up the superstructure

Nawangwe cited the National Theatre in Kampala as a building whose architectural and cultural significance extends beyond its immediate use. The structure continues to attract interest from international scholars and visitors studying Uganda’s built environment.

Using the Roman Pantheon as an example, Nawangwe argued that architectural heritage retains cultural, educational and economic value long after the generations that built it have passed. He described the Pantheon as one of Europe’s most visited structures, making the case that historic buildings should be viewed not as relics of the past but as assets that continue to serve contemporary society.

He urged Ugandan architects, developers and urban authorities to recognise that preserving historic buildings can sustain cultural identity, attract scholarly interest and enrich the built environment for future generations.

He expressed concern over past proposals to demolish the existing theatre and replace it with another development, saying decisions involving buildings of national significance should take their heritage value into account.

He also criticised what he described as the frequent disregard for architectural advice by property developers and municipal authorities, warning that the consequences were visible in the loss of distinctive buildings and the deterioration of urban planning.

For Nawangwe, documenting architectural heritage is not simply an academic exercise but also a practical requirement for managing urban growth, preserving cultural identity and ensuring that development does not destroy the physical evidence of Uganda’s past.

As the profession reflects on six decades of organised fellowship and three decades of regulated practice, he urged architects to combine technical expertise with a stronger public voice in decisions affecting the built environment.

Protecting Uganda’s architectural legacy, he said, requires both a better understanding of what earlier generations built and a commitment to ensuring that contemporary development does not erase it.

The post Nawangwe Urges Architects to Document Uganda’s Built Heritage appeared first on 256 Business News.

The Uganda Society of Architects (USA) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB) will this week bring together architects and other built-environment professionals to examine the evolution and future direction of architecture in Uganda.

The one-day symposium, scheduled for October 2 at Kabira Country Club in Kampala, will mark 60 years of the Uganda Society of Architects and 30 years of the Architects Registration Board.

Held under the theme “USA @ 60 Years & ARB @ 30 Years – Reflecting on the Past Achievements, Seizing Today’s Opportunities and Addressing the Future,” the meeting will look at how architecture has shaped Uganda’s built environment and the changing role of architects in the economy.

The organisers say the discussions will span three broad periods: the profession’s development over the past six decades, its current role and opportunities, and the changes likely to shape architectural practice over the next 60 years.

The symposium comes as the profession faces a rapidly changing technological environment, including the increasing use of digital design tools, new construction technologies and artificial intelligence.

Among the speakers will be Makerere University Vice Chancellor and architect Barnabas Nawangwe, who will deliver the keynote address. Nawangwe was also a key figure in the establishment of the university’s Department of Architecture.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa is expected to be the guest of honour.

Panel discussions will bring together senior architects, young professionals and specialists in digital innovation and technology to consider how emerging tools are changing architectural design, project supervision and professional practice.

The discussions will also examine the contribution of architecture to Uganda’s economic development, while bringing the profession into conversation with engineers, surveyors, interior designers, government officials, material suppliers, investors and development partners.

The anniversary provides an opportunity for the Uganda Society of Architects and the Architects Registration Board to look beyond the profession’s institutional history to the wider question of how built-environment professionals can contribute to economic development and innovation.

The symposium is open to members of the public at a fee of UGX200,000.

The post Uganda Architects to Celebrate 60 Years as Profession Confronts a Technology-driven Future appeared first on 256 Business News.

Drive out of Kampala on any road you like. Take the one to Naggalama, where I went to school. Somewhere past the last trading centre you will pass a plot with a ring beam and no roof. The blocks are good blocks. The windows are bricked up against thieves. Grass is growing where the sitting room will be.

We look at that plot and we call it a stalled project. I have come to see it differently. That house is not stalled. It is on a payment plan — one the owner designed himself, and one no bank in this country wrote for him.

He bought the plot with three years of savings and a sale of a piece of family land. He did the foundation the year his Kikuubo business was good. He walled it the year after. The roof is waiting for a school-fees term to pass. Ask him when he will finish and he will tell you, without embarrassment, “we are still building.” He will be building for eight years. At the end of it he will own a house outright, with no mortgage, no default, and no bank in the story at all.

This is how the great majority of Ugandan houses are actually built. Not by developers. Not by mortgages. By households, in stages, over years, out of income that arrives when it arrives.

We built a system for a market that barely exists

Uganda’s housing deficit is put at about 2.4 million units. We produce roughly 60,000 units a year against demand of about 200,000. Those numbers get quoted at every conference, usually just before someone announces a new estate of two-bedroom units at $60,000 a piece.

Now look at the finance side. Mortgage lending in Uganda has hovered under one percent of GDP for years. Rates sit in the high teens. A mortgage requires a registered title, and around 80 percent of our land is held under customary tenure. It requires a payslip, in a country where most working people do not have one. It requires a fifteen-year commitment from a borrower whose income horizon is closer to fifteen weeks.

So, the formal housing finance system serves the sliver of the population that has a title, a payslip and a long horizon. Everyone else is served by the hardware dealer in Nateete who lets them take twenty bags of cement now and pay at month-end. That dealer is Uganda’s largest housing financier and he has no banking licence.

For a long stretch of my career I sat on the bank’s side of that desk and said no to people whose only fault was that their money arrived in the wrong shape.

What changes when you finance the stage instead of the house

Over the last few years I have worked on lines of credit dedicated to what the sector calls incremental housing: small loans, mostly unsecured or lightly secured, of a size a household can retire in twelve to twenty-four months, tied to one construction stage. The roof. The plaster and floor. The two-room extension that turns a home into a rental. The water tank. The connection to the grid.

One such facility was implemented by Housing Finance Bank, utilizing both our own branches and the Microfinance Department for deployment.  It reached over 8,400 households. The average tenor was about eighteen months. Roughly a quarter of the borrowers were women. Some of it was placed through a boda-boda association, whose members are exactly the customers bank credit policies were designed to keep out.

Two things about that portfolio changed how I think.

The first is repayment. People pay back money that is sitting over their heads as a roof. The delinquency on this kind of lending has been consistently, sometimes embarrassingly, better than on the more “bankable” parts of the book. Risk we assumed was there was largely an artefact of how we were measuring it.

The second is speed. A shilling lent on eighteen months comes back and goes out again. The same money housed several families in the time a single mortgage would still have been in its early amortisation. If the objective is households sheltered per shilling deployed, incremental lending is not the poor cousin of the mortgage. It is the more efficient instrument.

Three things we should stop arguing about

Underwrite the cash flow, not the payslip. A boda rider’s earnings are more visible today than a civil servant’s were twenty years ago — mobile money records, fleet platform data, sacco statements, supplier ledgers. We have the data. What we lack is the willingness to accept it as evidence of income. Every bank in Uganda says it wants to serve the informal sector. Very few have changed a single line in the credit policy that excludes it.

Let the collateral match the loan. A four-million-shilling roof loan should not need a land title and a valuation report that costs a tenth of the loan. Regulation, credit committees and provisioning rules still push us toward secured, long-dated, large-ticket lending. Until the treatment of small unsecured housing credit reflects its actual performance, the pricing and the appetite will stay wrong.

Stop selling houses and start selling stages. Developers and materials manufacturers keep waiting for a mass market that can buy a finished unit. It is not coming at the scale we need. The market that exists wants a roof this year and a floor next year. Whoever builds a proper stage-by-stage product — materials, delivery, technical supervision and credit bundled together — will find demand already waiting.

The unglamorous truth

We will not close a 2.4-million-unit deficit with ribbon-cuttings in Kira. We will close a good part of it by getting behind the millions of quiet construction projects already underway across this country and finishing them faster.

That means our banks, our regulator, our development partners and our housing policy all making peace with an unglamorous fact: in Uganda, a house is not a purchase. It is a process. Our job is not to replace that process with a foreign one. It is to shorten it.

The man in Naggalama does not need us to build him a house. He is already doing that. He needs six million shillings for eighteen months, so that the rain that comes in October falls on iron sheets instead of on his ring beam.

Anthony Kivumbi is the Business Development Manager and Strategic Partnerships at Housing Finance Bank

The post Uganda Will Not Close Its 2.4-Million-Unit Housing Deficit with Ribbon-Cuttings in Kira appeared first on 256 Business News.

In a report by W Hospitality Group, the 123,846 rooms in the pipeline across 675 hotels and resorts, represents a year-on-year growth of 18.6%, or 12.2% on a same-store basis.

Marriott International leads with 31,782 rooms, followed by Hilton, Accor, IHG and Radisson Hotel Group. At 45,984, a third of planned rooms will be in Egypt across 185 properties. This is over four times the number in second-placed Morocco, which has 10,606 rooms. As of the beginning of 2026, Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel company, operating over 9,800 properties across 145 countries.

The report, 2026 Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa, has been published in the run-up to the Future Hospitality Summit Africa to take place from  March 31 to April 1st in Nairobi.  This is Africa’s leading hospitality investment and leadership forum, bringing together senior executives, investors, developers and policymakers to drive sustainable growth and collaboration across the hospitality ecosystem.

According to the report, together, Egypt and Morocco account for more than 45% of total pipeline rooms. Egypt alone recorded 39 new deals last year and anticipates 33 openings in 2026, reinforcing its sustained development momentum.

Trevor Ward, Managing Director of W Hospitality Group said, “The data clearly show that Africa’s hotel development story is being driven by a handful of high-performing markets, with Egypt firmly at the forefront in both signings and projected openings.”

Beyond overall scale, the pipeline status data reveals that execution momentum is currently strongest in East Africa. Ethiopia and Kenya both have nearly 80 pc of their rooms under construction, closely followed by Tanzania at 77.5 pc.

This compares with significantly lower proportions of projects under construction in markets such as Nigeria and Cape Verde. While North Africa dominates in overall volume, East Africa is leading in terms of projects actively progressing toward completion and near-term delivery.

“What stands out this year is the strength of East Africa in terms of projects moving forward. Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania show some of the highest construction ratios on the continent, which suggests that this is where we are likely to see new supply coming through in the short to medium term,” Ward said.

Marriott International operates several properties in Uganda, primarily through its Protea Hotels brand, with a focus on the Kampala and Entebbe areas. Key properties include the Protea Hotel Kampala Skyz, Protea Hotel Naguru Skyz, Protea Hotel Entebbe, and the Four Points by Sheraton Kampala.

The Marriott Hotel and Executive Apartments in Kampala is expected to open before the end of this year and will feature 181 rooms and suites, executive apartments, a rooftop bar, a pool, a spa, and extensive event spaces.

The report states that although more than 65,000 rooms are forecast to open in 2026 and 2027, historical actualisation rates suggest delivery may fall short of projections, highlighting the ongoing gap between ambition and execution.

According to Forbes, building hotels in Africa is driven by a massive, largely untapped market with high demand for quality accommodation, a booming luxury tourism sector, and strong economic growth. Investors are also targeting the continent due to rising travel demand for eco-tourism and safari experiences, an expanding middle class and significant job creation opportunities.

The post Five global brands lead in Africa’s hospitality sector development appeared first on 256 Business News.

Jointly organized by the Uganda Society of Architects (USA) and the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Creative Industries (UGAPAFOCI), the one-day dialogue was held under the theme “Sustainable Architecture and the Creative Economy: Driving Uganda’s GDP Growth through Design, Film, Music, Fashion, Digital Media and Cultural Heritage.”

Tradition Meets Modernity

Tunisian architect and keynote speaker Fida Sassi, urged African nations to draw inspiration from indigenous building practices. “Traditional African architecture is more energy efficient and sustainable than modern materials. By integrating indigenous materials such as stabilised earth bricks into contemporary design, we can build for Africa’s climate while cutting energy costs,” she said.

Indigenous building materials have better thermal properties, resulting in buildings that don’t require the elaborate heating and colling systems, typical of new age construction materials, resulting into a  lower carbon footprint, Sassi explained.

Her remarks resonated in Uganda, where concerns over energy use, environmental sustainability, and cultural identity are rising amidst rapid urbanisation.

Architecture as Identity and Heritage

According to James Wasula, Executive Director of UGAPAFOCI, architecture represents more than physical structures — it embodies culture, heritage, and national identity. “The most visited cities in the world – Paris and Rome – are known for their built heritage: the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum. In Uganda, sites such as the Kasubi Tombs remain underutilised in national branding,” he noted.

Wasula cautioned that cultural expression in Uganda, and Africa more broadly, is too often misunderstood or dismissed as “witchcraft,” limiting the continent’s ability to harness heritage to inform modern practices in architecture and creative industries.

Architects Seek Their Place in the Economy

In her welcome remarks, Jacqueline Namayanja, President of the Uganda Society of Architects, emphasised the profession’s interconnectedness with other creative fields.

“We don’t work in a bubble. For galleries, theatres and production homes, we consult artists and filmmakers. For hospitals, we consult medical professionals. Architecture stretches everywhere,” Namayanja said.

She stressed that the symposium sought to identify both challenges and opportunities. “Ultimately, we are trying to find our place in the economy,” she added.

Namayanja further explained that the Uganda Society of Architects plays a key role in uniting professionals, lobbying for better policy, and ensuring capacity building across generations. Partnering with Parliament’s creative industries forum, she said, was vital in situating architecture within the broader creative economy agenda.

Linking Creativity to GDP Growth

The symposium underscored that architecture — alongside film, fashion, music, digital media, and cultural heritage — holds untapped potential for Uganda’s economy. By framing creative sectors as economic drivers rather than peripheral activities, organisers hope to influence policy, investment, and regulation.

Namayanja closed with a call to action: “We are a diverse gathering today, and opportunities fill the air. Take hold of them and go big.”

The post Sustainable architecture, creative economy, take centre-stage at USA annual symposium appeared first on 256 Business News.

Running under the theme “Sustainable Architecture and the Creative Economy: Driving Uganda’s GDP Growth Through Design, Film, Music, Fashion, Digital Media, and Cultural Heritage,” the event will convene architects, urban planners, musicians, filmmakers, designers, investors, and policymakers. The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among, will officiate as Guest of Honor, while Tunisian architect and urban designer Arch. Fida Sassi will deliver the keynote address.

The agenda includes a presentation on the Uganda Museum Project, panel discussions on sustainable cities and financing creative industries, and expert sessions on digital innovation, heritage conservation, and intellectual property rights. By weaving these conversations together, organisers hope to underline the economic and cultural dividends of collaboration between built environment professionals and creative entrepreneurs.

Arch. Jacquiline Namayanja, President of the Uganda Society of Architects, said the symposium is about breaking silos. “This is a platform for collaboration across disciplines—showcasing how architecture and the creative economy can work together to define Uganda’s identity, attract investment, and build a sustainable future,” she noted.

Racheal Magoola, Chairperson of UGAPAFOCI, echoed that sentiment, highlighting the creative sector’s growing weight in national development. “The creative industries are a vital engine for Uganda’s economy. From music and film to fashion, design, and digital media, they create jobs, drive innovation, and strengthen national identity. Integrating creativity into our agenda unlocks new pathways for tourism, investment, and sustainable growth,” she said.

Moiz Vajihi

Private-sector sponsors are also aligning with the message of innovation and synergy. Kansai Plascon, alongside glazing and aluminium firms Shibaam and Casements Africa, will showcase new technologies in building materials. “Besides being cheaper, glass has unique properties which confer environmental and aesthetic advantages in construction. We are seeing growing acceptance of glass in both large and small projects as the sector rebounds after Covid-19,” said Moiz Vajihi, a director at Shibaam.

Casements Africa’s General Manager, Pearl Kengaju, urged clients to respect professional guidance when applying new materials. “What you like might appeal strongly to you, but it is not always in your long-term interest. Respecting the advice of official vendors and manufacturers ensures durability and safety,” she advised.

To further cement this cross-sector approach, USA leaders Namayanja and Arch. Catherine Muyinda stressed the need for professional oversight at every phase of construction projects. They warned that bypassing architects and engineers risks costly mistakes and structural failures.

Pearl Kengaju

The symposium will also feature B2B networking and sponsor showcases, creating opportunities for collaboration between the private sector and creative practitioners. It is open to the public, with an attendance fee of UGX 250,000 payable through the Uganda Society of Architects.

The post Architects, creatives seek common ground as USA hosts 2025 Symposium on Sustainable Design and Economy appeared first on 256 Business News.

Under the agreement, Housing Finance Bank will provide tailored mortgage solutions designed to make financing more accessible, while Pearl Marina Estates will deliver quality housing units that meet modern standards of affordability and design.

Uganda faces a housing deficit estimated at 3 million units, a gap that continues to widen with rapid urbanisation and population growth. By joining forces, the two institutions say they are not only responding to this urgent need but also creating a model for sustainable and inclusive development.

“At Housing Finance Bank, our purpose is financing a sustainable future for all,” said Michael Mugabi, the bank’s managing director. “This collaboration aligns perfectly with that mission by bringing together financing and real estate development in a way that empowers more Ugandans to achieve their dream of homeownership.”

The MOU establishes a framework for innovation in housing finance, emphasizing customer-centric mortgage products, operational efficiency, and data-driven solutions. It also ensures that aspiring homeowners will be supported throughout the process—from identifying the right property to structuring affordable payment plans.

John Baptist Kaweesi, head of mortgages and consumer banking at HFB, described the partnership as both timely and transformative. “Uganda’s housing deficit presents a challenge, but also an exciting opportunity,” he said. “Through this collaboration, we can significantly reduce barriers to homeownership, making mortgages accessible to more Ugandans than ever before.”

Pearl Marina Estates, general manager Piyush Dixit noted that the MOU goes beyond a simple financial arrangement. “This is a bold step towards shaping the future of real estate in Uganda,” Dixit said. “By combining our strengths, we will accelerate growth, unlock synergies, and deliver meaningful impact to aspiring homeowners.”

Industry analysts have described the partnership as a milestone in Uganda’s housing finance landscape—one that could serve as a benchmark for public-private collaboration in addressing social and economic challenges. With both institutions pledging long-term commitment, the alliance is expected to not only expand access to affordable housing but also stimulate growth in Uganda’s construction and financial services sectors.

The post Housing Finance Bank, Pearl Marina Estates ink deal to drive affordable homeownership appeared first on 256 Business News.

The decision — passed by the UN Security Council on August 4 and announced Sunday by UN Chief of Security in Uganda, Rtn. George Bush Ochieng — follows years of lobbying and targeted infrastructure upgrades by Akright management and residents’ leadership. News of the designation was broken to residents  in a meeting at Ark Gardens, attended by UN representatives, Arkright City Residents Association (ACRA) leaders, Akright founders, security agencies, and local authorities.

The designation confirms that Akright meets key UN standards for secure, comfortable, and reliable accommodation for expatriate staff. Among the attributes that earned it the status are:

• A fully fledged police station within the estate
• Support from the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF)
• Multiple emergency escape routes
• Proximity to the Entebbe Expressway and Entebbe International Airport
• Reliable utilities, water, and sanitation systems
• Controlled access points and a perimeter designed for security monitoring

The UN review team also highlighted the estate’s well-maintained road network, green spaces, and organised property management as contributing factors.

However, the assessment flagged areas for improvement, including tighter control of loitering by non-residents, completion of unfinished buildings, removal of overgrown vegetation, boosting fire-fighting capacity, and addressing noise and other risks from neighbouring unregulated areas.

Local police and UPDF officials pledged to step up deployments, set up additional boundary posts, and maintain a fire truck on standby. Residents were urged to install smoke detectors, keep fire extinguishers, and support neighbourhood security initiatives.

The UN status is expected to boost property values and spur investment in high-standard housing, international schools, medical facilities, and secure transport services for expatriates.

Arkright founder Anatoli Kamugisha

“This is one of the greatest achievements in the history of Akright City,” said Denis Kalyango, speaking on behalf of the ACRA leadership and security team. “The ball is now in our hands to tap the opportunities that come with it.”

Founded at the turn of the century by real estate visionary Anatoli Kamugisha, Arkright City represents one of the most successful private sector-led initiatives to promote affordable organised living and urbanisation in  Uganda. Working in conjucntion with DFCU Bank, Arkright enabled many working class Ugandans to own land and develop their homes in an organised urban setting.

The post Akright City Bwebajja secures UN International Residential Zone Status appeared first on 256 Business News.

The trends unfolded against a backdrop of steady macroeconomic performance. Uganda’s economy expanded by 6.3pc in fiscal 2024/25, driven by strong services sector growth and improved trade. Headline inflation edged up to 3.9pc in June, while the shilling strengthened by 3.8pc year-on-year on steady forex inflows. The central bank maintained the policy rate at 9.75pc.

In the prime residential segment, occupancy rates dipped by one percentage point to 80pc, and average rents for two-bedroom units fell by 7pc. Knight Frank attributes the decline to new supply coming onstream at a time of shifting tenant profiles — with reduced demand from Western expatriates partly offset by increased leasing from Asian professionals.

Secondary suburbs bucked the trend, recording both higher occupancy and growth in short-stay listings, a reflection of affordability constraints and changing lifestyle choices.

Office Space Under Pressure

The office sector continued to face demand headwinds. Occupancy for Grade A offices dropped by 5pc, while Grade AB slipped by 2pc, as completions outpaced uptake. Leasing activity was driven mainly by smaller space requirements from consulting, ICT, and professional services firms.

A shift away from the traditional CBD towards suburban office hubs was noted, with growing interest in condominium-style offices that offer ownership flexibility.

Retail Footfall and Sales Climb

Retail was one of the brighter spots. Shopper footfall rose 13%, grocery turnover grew 8pc year-on-year, and occupancy rates in Knight Frank-managed malls improved by 2pc. The sector benefitted from the entry of new international brands, increased mall activations, and better road access. Rental rates remained stable despite the uptick in traffic.

Industrial Sector Remains Resilient

Industrial property maintained its status as the most resilient asset class, with occupancy above 80pc and rents holding steady between $3 and $7 per square metre per month. Demand was led by agro-processing, FMCG, and manufacturing firms.

New warehouse projects emerged in Nalukolongo and Namanve, supported by policy and infrastructure tailwinds — notably tax incentives for local SMEs under the Uganda Tax Amendment Act 2025, and progress on the Standard Gauge Railway.

Cautious Outlook Ahead of 2026 Elections
Looking ahead, Knight Frank sees cautious optimism in the second half of 2025, noting that performance will hinge on market adaptability, infrastructure delivery, and responsiveness to evolving tenant expectations.

With Uganda’s general elections set for early 2026, the property market will likely balance expansion opportunities against potential political and economic uncertainties.

The post Kampala property market softens in prime segments, gains in retail and industrial appeared first on 256 Business News.

Kasonkoso, like thousands of informal settlements across Africa, is teeming with ingenuity and resilience; but also risk—lacking the basic services and security that most city dwellers take for granted. As traditional development funding plateaus or declines, African cities are under growing pressure to find new and innovative ways to finance the infrastructure and services required by their expanding populations.  Cities across sub Saharan Africa are under pressure to show own source revenue can be made viable within 3 to 5 years submits Nairobi, Kenya based Azim Manji, an Urban Development and Land Value Capture Specialist with UK Aid.

Informal settlements are too often seen as symptoms of failure: evidence of runaway urbanization, poverty and the inability of governments to keep pace. These communities, home to more than half of Africa’s urban population, are a powerful, untapped engine for inclusive urban transformation. As Sam Mabala, former Commissioner for Urban Development within Uganda’s Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD) and advisor at Cities Alliance and suggests, the key is how cities approach the upgrade and formalization of these areas.

Cities can utilize land value capture (LVC) to channel the rising value of regularized neighbourhoods into the public investments required for growth, equity and opportunity. Christopher Cripps, a senior physical planner and consultant to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), World Bank and DT Global points out LVC is already a routine practice in many Western countries, where mechanisms such as betterment levies, development charges and special assessments help cities reinvest rising land values into public goods and infrastructure.

Africa’s cities are urbanizing at breakneck speed and the scale of informality is immense. According to a UN-Habitat May 2025 report, over 51 per cent of the continent’s urban residents live in informal settlements, often on land they do not officially own. These neighbourhoods, commonly referred to as slums, lack secure tenure, reliable infrastructure and official recognition in city revenue systems.

The consequences are profound. Residents do not invest in their homes, city governments miss out on revenue from property taxes or service charges and in many ways the informal city remains cut off and isolated.  This is a missed opportunity not only for those who live in informal settlements, but for cities as a whole, that lose out on both improved quality of life and much-needed revenue to fund future growth.

When cities invest in informal settlements with the development of roads, sewers, lighting, schools and health centres, the value of the land and homes can rise dramatically. Legal recognition and tenure security alone can multiply property values several times over as households gain the confidence to invest and as markets recognize their rights.

In Kigali, Rwanda, systematic land registration in both formal and informal areas has improved tenure security and sparked new investment and unlocked municipal revenues. A recent study by Jeanne Sorin from the University of Chicago examining impacts associated with of 140 km of road improvements in Kampala between 2017 and 2024 that consulted 548 land owners and 377 real estate brokers reports the value of properties on the side of the upgraded roads also increased by an average of 26 percent. Unless these gains are captured for public benefit, they tend to accrue mainly to a handful of landholders or are lost to the economy of informality warns Christopher Cripps.

Land value capture mechanisms helps to make this transformation sustainable and inclusive. LVC ensures that some portion of the increase in land values, driven by public investment and recognition, returns to the community. When informal settlements are upgraded and formalized, cities can capture part of this value increase through tools such as betterment levies, the inclusion of properties in the local tax net or development charges paid by developers. These revenues can then fund further upgrades, social services and even affordable housing to create a virtuous cycle where rising value pays for continued improvement.

This approach is fair and necessary. Designed inclusively, land value capture can help prevent displacement and channel resources back into communities to generate value. Participatory planning is essential emphasizes Emmanuel Iwong of Welcome2Africa International in Abuja, Nigeria.  When residents are involved in designing value capture mechanisms and deciding how funds are spent, trust and transparency grow. The benefits go far beyond bricks and mortar resulting in cleaner environments, safer neighbourhoods and expanded opportunities for all city residents.

Naturally LVC is not without challenges. Residents often fear that formalization will result in eviction or unaffordable taxes. Many African cities lack the administrative and legal tools to value land accurately, set fair charges or manage new revenue streams attests Iwong. Overcoming these challenges demands incremental, transparent approaches starting with pilot projects, clear communication, meaningful engagement and phased implementation that can allow communities to see real benefits before costs rise.

Some cities are already blazing a trail. In Nairobi, the Mukuru Special Planning Area pilot brings together city agencies, NGOs and residents to co-design regularization and value sharing. Kigali’s citywide registration drive has increased municipal revenue and paved the way for urban investments. In Morocco, the Villes Sans Bidonvilles (Cities Without Slums) programme has leveraged land value capture and public-private partnerships to upgrade informal settlements and deliver new housing at scale. African policymakers are not alone.  Institutions such as the World Bank, UN-Habitat all advocate these LVC as part of a new urban development paradigm for the continent.

Formalizing informal settlements is not only a social good, but a financial and developmental win for African cities agrees Simbarashe Chereni, Guest Researcher in Environmental Politics and Psychology/Spatial Planning at Delft University of Technology in the Hague, Netherlands. Recognizing and organizing these vibrant communities to capture a share of the value that regularization creates can enable city leaders to fund the roads, schools, clinics and parks that drive lasting prosperity.

City leaders, planners and partners must champion land value capture as the key to unlocking the full potential of Africa’s urban future. In this way they will not only improve lives today, but lay the foundation for generations to come: transforming informal settlements from symbols of challenge into engines of shared opportunity and growth.

Christopher Burke is a senior advisor at WMC Africa, a communications and advisory agency located in Kampala, Uganda. With nearly 30 years of experience, Christopher has worked extensively on social, political and economic development issues focused on the environment, energy, agriculture, land governance, communications, international relations and peace-building in Asia and Africa.

The post Land Value Capture: Unlocking Urban Value and Financing Inclusive Growth in Africa’s Informal Settlements appeared first on 256 Business News.