Uganda General Proposes 1 Million Homes to Renew Kampala Slums
KAMPALA, Uganda – Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces and Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) chairman, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has announced an ambitious urban renewal plan to tackle Kampala’s sprawling slums, proposing at least one million new housing units over the next decade.
In a series of social media posts, Kainerugaba declared that “Kampala’s slums need an urban renewal plan,” adding that decent housing and infrastructure should be built for “bonafide inhabitants of the capital city.” He pledged to fund the initiative using “the money we save from thieves,” pointing to anti-corruption efforts as a key financing source.
The proposal comes amid a national housing shortage of 2.4 million units, with over 60% of Kampala residents currently living in informal settlements.
Kainerugaba framed the effort as a fundamental right, stating: “Ugandans have the right to good housing and infrastructure! That’s their birthright.
“Under the PLU’s ‘Good Housing for all’ policy – or “Bonna bayina okubeera n’amayumba amarungi” – the General drew inspiration from South Africa’s post-apartheid experience.
“Our brothers, ANC, in South Africa have built 3.3 million housing units (or RDPs as they call them) for the most disadvantaged slum/township dwellers since 1994,” he wrote.
“We can at least do 1,000,000 housing units in 10 years.”State Minister Lillian Aber has reportedly pledged budget support for the initiative, while other officials have called for public-private partnerships and anti-corruption measures to ensure success.
Hon Balaam responding to the General’s proposal, cited Rwanda’s capital as a model: “Kigali transformed many former informal settlements… into organized green spaces, decent housing estates, and modern infrastructure.
” He noted that low-income earners received support through government programs and partners such as Habitat for Humanity, with schools, hospitals, roads, drainage systems, and trading centres established alongside housing developments.
Specific Kampala settlements targeted for renewal include Katanga, Kikoni, Kimumbasa, Mulago, Bwaise, Katwe, Kikuba Mutwe, and Naguru.However, experts urge caution, emphasizing that successful renewal must focus on sanitation, job creation, and tenant protections to avoid displacing current residents.
“The key is ensuring that redevelopment protects and uplifts the current residents by providing affordable modern housing, access to jobs, healthcare, education, and business opportunities instead of displacement,” one respondent noted.
A clean, organized, green, and modern Kampala is achievable with commitment, patriotism, and strategic planning – but whether the ambitious ten-year, one-million-unit target can be met remains to be seen.
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