.....Akright leads private housing development



By Elvis Basudde



THE housing sector in Uganda has over the years experienced a tremendous boom with the construction of several housing estates. Anatoli Kamugisha, the managing director of, Akright Projects, says government’s policies that opened up the housing industry to the private sector have been instrumental in the development of the housing industry.


Today, the housing sector is ranked the third income- generating sector of the economy. Despite a high housing backlog due to the high demand for quality affordable homes, a number of housing units have been constructed in the past 10 years.


Akright Projects broke the dominance by the National Housing and Construction Corporation by engaging in the sector. It was registered in 1999 as the first private real estate development company with the objective of providing quality and affordable real estate services in an organised environment.


Since then, Akright has built 12 estates in the outskirts of Kampala to provide decent housing and decongest the city.




Over the years, Akright has built quality and low-cost houses for Ugandans



“Akright was the first company to advocate and promote the culture of living in planned and organised environments,” says Kamugisha. As a result, many people have appreciated living in planned environments.


Akright developed over 1,000 homes of different categories. It has also sold several plots as the first step towards home ownership. As a result of its reputation and acknowledged performance, Akright has gained prominence and influenced government policies. It spearheaded a campaign to reduce VAT charges on sale of houses so as to boost reinvestment.


Due to its prominence, president Yoweri Museveni listed housing as a priority on his campaign agenda and directed government ministries to provide amenities such as roads and water to planned estates.


Akright is still lobbying government for a possible tax waiver on imported construction materials and machinery, especially for the construction of low-cost houses.


Due to its housing drive, the mortgage industry today has grown bigger with billions of shillings invested as a result of Akright’s efforts in lobbying for reduced interest rates. This has enabled Ugandans to own decent homes.


This has encouraged international mortgage institutions such as the East African Development Bank and Shelter Afrique to open up their doors for Akright. The funding from these institutions enabled Akright to build more homes in its Kakungulu and Namugongo estates.


An association for real estate developers to which Akright subscribes to was formed to put proper rules and guidelines governing their operations. Kamugisha says the association has setup policies, guidelines and standards. Despite the challenges, Akright remains committed to providing affordable houses to Ugandans.


“Akright has partnered with a Norwegian firm and a German-based international financial institution to provide low-cost houses since many Ugandans are low income earners,” he says.




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