Ministry of Lands,Housing and Urban Development to emback on massive demolition of old and unfit buildings along main streets, starting in Kampala.
However Owners with no money to redevelop their old properties have been given a window to sell them off to the government according to Minister of State for Lands,Housing and Urban Development Hon Persis Namuganza
“The Ugandan government will demolish old and poorly planned buildings along major streets as part of a programme to improve the appearance of Uganda’s cities and towns,”she stated while briefing journalist in Kampala.
According to Namuganza the demolition is part of enforcement of the Physical Planning Act, 2010 and its amendments, which declared the entire country a planning area.
“We shall have no room for houses which are not on plan,” Namuganza said.
Namuganza warned that the government will no longer permit construction of buildings too close to each other without leaving enough space for access, drainage and other essential services.
“We are no longer going to allow houses that are being constructed squeezing one another, leaving just a narrow gap in between,” she said.
Namuganza also cited the Uganda Cities and Municipal Infrastructure Development plan which seeks to improve the appearance of cities, towns and municipalities.
This, she said, would guide the government in identifying buildings that had outlived their usefulness.
“We are not going to spare any house in any city, town or municipality which has outlived its usefulness,” Namuganza said.
“We are also looking closely at houses which are not fit to be on the main streets because they give a bad picture of our cities and towns and how they look. All those houses, we are going to mark them with an X for demolition.”
Owners will be given a chance to redevelop their properties and those who lack money, she said, could seek government support through a public-private partnership arrangement.
The Ministry of Lands has opened a desk where affected property owners can discuss possible partnerships with the government.
“If the developers do not have money to develop them, we have opened up a desk at the ministry. Come and partner with us under a PPP arrangement to develop them,” she said.
“We shall discuss how we can share units, or the government can buy off such properties, but we are no longer going to have houses that have outlived their usefulness.”
The President signed into law the Building Control (Amendment) Act, 2025, the Mortgage Refinance Institutions Act, 2025, and the Valuation Act, 2025 at State House Entebbe.
The new laws introduce tougher penalties for illegal construction and non-compliance with approved building standards, a move expected to enhance safety and accountability in the country’s rapidly expanding urban areas.
Under the Mortgage Refinance Institutions Act, 2025, the Bank of Uganda is empowered to regulate mortgage refinance institutions, a step intended to strengthen oversight of the housing finance sector and improve access to long-term financing for homeowners.
Meanwhile, the Valuation Act, 2025 provides for the establishment of the Institute of Certified Valuers to oversee professional standards, registration and regulation of valuers in Uganda.
The enactment of the three laws is expected to streamline construction oversight, deepen the mortgage market and professionalise valuation services in support of the country’s urban development and housing growth.
