PATRICK BITATURE ... TO ROAR LIKE A SIMBA

I have been around long enough to see real estate development, or maldevelopment, lead to the sprawl that is Kampala today. From atop the Skyz Hotel in Naguru, one can see as far as Mukono to the east, Entebbe to the South and Bombo to the north. At night the lights from traffic, streetlights and from residences makes it a sight to behold. But we were here in 1986 when Kampala’s outer limits were Kibuye roundabout, Rubaga, Wandegeya, Ntinda and Nakawa. The NRM did the smart thing and removed restrictions – rent controls, on real estate and spawned a real estate boom that has led to the dramatic expansion of the capital city’s boundaries to what they are today. During the same period the government’s National Housing & Construction Company (NHCC) has not kept pace with private developers, be they individuals or companies developing a few dozen units. "Official statistics suggest that there is a 550,000 deficit of acceptable quality housing in Uganda of ...