 Company profile |
NATIONAL HOUSING & CONSTRUCTION
CORPORATION
 Manager |
Mr Martin KASEKENDE, Managing Director.
Read our exclusive interview.
| Contact |
NATIONAL HOUSING & CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION
Crested Towers
P.O. Box 659
KAMPALA - UGANDA
Tel: 256-41-230211 , 256-41-232313, 256-41-257462
Fax: 256-41-258708 Telex: 61156 HOUSING
http://www.uganda.co.ug/Housing.htm
E-mail: nhcc@imul.com// peters@Starcom.co.ug, Peter Musoke, Corporate
Secretary.
| Activities |
Construction & housing
| Strategy |
National Housing And Construction Corporation (NH & CC) is a
Government Parastatal body that was established by the National Housing Act No. 7 of 1964
which was later amended by Decree No.19 of 1974 to be National Housing And Construction
Corporation.
The objectives of the Corporation are:
To build and sell houses
To build and increase housing units in the country
To engage in any other functions found necessary for the furtherance of the above objectives.
Past Activities
Since its establishment the Corporation put up over 1700 executive
flats, maisonettes and bungalows in top class residential areas like Bugolobi, Kololo,
Bukoto, Nakasero and Wandegeya. Low and Middle Class housing estates were built in Mulago
and Kiwafu. Over 200 bungalows and executive flates and maisoneetes have also been put up
in Up-country areas such as: Arua, Entebbe, Gulu, Jinja, Mbarara, Soroti and Tororo.
The Corporation’s activities have not been confined to the
construction of housing units only. NH&CC has built office blocks such as: Crested
Towers (its headquarters), Administrative offices for example: Tororo District
Admininstration Headquarters, Mechanical Workshop and storage facilities in industrial
area.
NH&CC has also made its contribution to the country’s
infrastructure by constructing Entebbe Airport Road, Kindergarten and shopping centres in
Bugolobi, and schools and dispensaries in and around Kampala. In addition to all this it
offers consulting services for government departments and organisations.
Rehabilitation And New Housing Projects
Following the approval by the Board of Directors on 1stMarch 1991, the Corporation is currently selling off properties in Nakesero, Kololo and
Bugolobi formerly rented by Government for civil servants. The capital realised from the
sale of houses shall be used to finance the development of other projects in the pipeline.
The following development programme have been achieved:
Rehabilitation Programmes
Estates
Rehabilitation of 44 housing units at Kiwafu Estate.
Re-roofing and electrical rehabilitation of 28 blocks of flats at Bugolobi.
Revamping of Nakasero Blocks of flats underway.
Buganda Road Flats – refurbishing of 8 blocks of flats is underway. So far 6 have been completed.
Wandegeya Estate – Re-roofing of 4 blocks has commenced and so far 3 have been completed.
Crested Towers
The Plumbing system was overhauled
The integrity of the overall structure was examined for rehabilitation.
The trunk main of the water supply was replaced.
The fire fighting system was rehabilitated.
The Corporation is planning replacement of lifts in both towers.
Capital Development Programmes
Under the capital development programme the Corporation has achieved
three new housing schemes namely Ntinda, Bukoto and Naalya.
Ntinda Housing Scheme
In 1990 the Corporation embarked on the development of Ntinda Housing
Scheme. This scheme is located in Ntinda suburb on the Eastern fringes of Kampala City.
The Corporation built eighty (80) middle income bungalow of which forty
(40) were built to completion and the rest were built to shell level and both sold.
Bukoto Phase III and IV
Bukoto Housing Scheme is located at the foot of Naguru Hill about 4 km
north of the city. The 8.8 hectares (22 acres) site part of a large plot on which phase I
Brown Flats and Phase II White Flats of middle to high income were built in the 1970s.
Phase III which was planned to cater for 201 assorted housing
units was built in five stages.
Phase III Stage 1
The Corporation constructed eight (8) semi-detached maisonettes (16
executive units which were sold to National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Phase III Stage 2
The Corporation constructed six (6) semi-detached (12 units)
maisonettes were constructed and retained.
Phase III Stage 3
Six (6) semi-detached (12 units) maisonettes were constructed and
retained.
Phase III Stage 4
Twelve (12) stand-alone middle income shell bungalows were built and
sold.
Phase III Stage 5
The Corporation constructed ten (10) stand-alone bungalows and sold
them.
Phase IV
Phase IV comprising of 20 houses is in progress.
Naalya Affordable Housing Scheme.
The concept of Naalya Affordable Housing Scheme is to meet the
increasing demand for accommodation for the low-income groups.
The Naalya Affordable Housing Scheme is located at Naalya Village, 12
km east of Kampala city and 4 km north of Kireka suburb. It is planned to cater for 750
units to be built in phases. The scheme includes fully fledged infrastructure – water
supply, water borne toilet facilities, electricity, estate roads network and community
facilities, such as schools, markets, shops, recreational facilities and health centres.
Phase I comprises 250 units which are nearing completion and are being
simultaneously sold off.
The subsequent phases will be dependent on the market demand trends but
preferably integrated development.
| Future Housing Projects
Namungona Mixed Development Scheme
The Corporation is planning to undertake construction of 1500 –
2000 units of integrated development. This includes sites and services, low cost houses,
affordable houses, shell houses, middle and low income houses. So far 70 plots have been
surveyed.
Kireka Estate
The Corporation is planning to put up in the Long term plan about 7000
units of mixed development. Phase one is expected to be low-cost flats which shall be sold
off. When the condominium law comes into effect, it will enhance further development of
flats on the site.
Lubowa Housing Estates
The Corporation has acquired about 200 acres of land and is planning to
acquire more land in the area as it becomes available, with a view of constructing
executive housing units to cater for middle and high income groups.
Mutundwe Hill
The Corporation acquired about 50 acres for the upper income groups.
Buganda Road Office Block
The Corporation plans to put up an office block at plots 21-27 Buganda
Road, to be financed by the Corporation and prospective financiers. The technical and
feasibility studies are to be prepared by a private company who won the tender.
Turnkey Refurbishment and
Modernization
The Corporation plans to refurbish and modernize Crested Towers Complex
to international standards. The pre-qualification for prospective tenders for the job has
been completed. The Corporation is negotiating for Joint Venture partnership.
Up-country Housing Schemes
In a bid to have a national out-look the Corporation has embarked on
Up-country housing projects particularly in towns.
The Corporation has successfully constructed 20 housing units in Jinja
at Mpumude. They are now on market for purchase.
Site visits and evaluation have been made in the following towns: Arua,
Gulu, Bundibugyo, Lira, Fortportal, Kasese, Mbarara and Ntungamo. Implementation of these
projects depends on appropriate response from the local authorities in towns.
Progress so far is as follows:-
Ntungamo Housing Scheme
Progress has been registered with Ntungamo District Administration.
Consultation with the Ntungamo District Administration to build 16 low cost houses at
Ntungamo have been going on since May 1996. The Corporation submitted the Memorandum of
Understanding in January 1997 to the Administration for them to study and sign.
Preparation of working Drawings and Bills of Quantities are in advanced stage.
Soroti Housing Scheme
Consultation with Soroti District Administration and Municipality to
put up 150 assorted housing units at Alere Road have been fruitful. The Town Clerk
submitted site layout to the Corporation. Preparation of Working Drawings, Bills of
Quantities and Memorandum of Understanding are in advanced stage. When finalized they will
be submitted to Soroti Municipal Council for consideration.
Masaka Housing Project
Land for construction of about 40 Low cost and medium income houses is
available at Mutukula Road. Consultation with the Corporation on plans and modalities of
sale are still going on.
Mbarara Housing Project
The Corporation owns land on M18 at Kabazeire Road and Kahigiriza Road.
The land has been surveyed and 24 plots demarcated. These will be disposed of in due
course.
| Privatisation |
The Corporation is earmarked for Privatization. Management has already
held discussions with the Privatization Monitoring Unit. It is acceptable to Government
that Government retains 25% of its shares in the Corporation.
The Corporation is of the view to retain its shares in Housing Finance
Company of Uganda Ltd because it is essential to the housing industry. However, the
Corporation’s shares in other subsidiaries like Uganda Clays Ltd. (EASTA) will be
divested.
| NHCC Plans for the next five years |
Lake victoria house
The Corporation intends to put up an office building at Buganda Road.
The building will be eight (8) storeys and it will be a seven-day building with
underground parking. The Corporation intends to borrow funds from South Africa at an
interest rate of 6.5% to finance the project. The project is projected to begin in
January, 1998 and end in the year 2000.
INTERVIEW WITH THE MANAGING
DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION MR. M. KASEKENDE
February, 1998
Q:Focusing on the housing sector, Uganda is one of
the fastest growing economy in Africa with an average of 8%, from your personal point of
view what are the main reasons of this economic revival.
MD: In my view its good governance of the present
government. When Asians repossess there properties most investors became confident that
the government meant what they are doing.
Q: What has been the current situation in the
evolution of the Construction Sector.
MD: Six years ago there was a hassle of e.g. cement,
timber and tin roof materials but because of the investments in this particular products
there has been less hassle in acquiring this products, for example people would line up
for days trying to acquire building materials and they would export them from Tanzania or
Kenya but now they are produced locally. E.g. Steel rolling mills.
Q: How has the market changed both locally and for
Ugandans from abroad.
MD: People now have stable income, they now can afford
mortgage. Selling at the moment is still difficult and limited. The private sector has
helped a lot on the rental basis because of investing in houses.
Q: What are the main investment opportunities for the
Housing Sector.
MD: Market existed at one time because people had a
lot of money and did not know what to do with it and then it got exhausted then we went in
for 6 months where they would pay 60,000 and still people paid, finally we built houses on
the shell level and sell them on shell level, here, a person gets a title which he/she can
use in Housing Finance to borrow the balance and this has been doing well for the medium
but in the lower case it can not work, what we did is we completed the units. There are no
tax holidays in building. The house which was meant to be sold off at 16,000 USD can know
be sold at 28,000 USD because of the infrastructure, communication and other necessary
requirements. So far we have sold 160 houses out of the 350 houses. The civil servants are
paying for the houses they are staying in.
Privatization is not easy, we are first of all addressing privatization
of the subsidiaries, here in National Housing we are concentrating on selling blocks of
flats to the public and privatizing the assets. Government does not come to our rescue, we
use our own resources. The money we use to build is from the payment of houses, if there
was funding from else where we would have done some thing big. Privatization is in the
process.
Q:Which projects are going to investment in the
Country
MD: First I must say some thing about this
corporation, Its the only corporation that exist on its own and have really growth and
have a truck record of making profits, for 10 years we have had steady management and we
pay dividends. The atmosphere for investing is favorable, people are now confidence in the
government. In terms of market, we have market. We have 60,000 housing units, even if your
producing 2,000 units per annual because of the acute shortage of houses, expect the
demand to be higher. People have enough money to be able to pay periodically for example
if else where in the world the mortgage runs up to 1,000 USD per month in this city it
runs to 500 per month with no cash down terms.
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