Finance Minister Henry Musasizi has challenged National Housing and Construction Company Limited to diversify its business and strengthen its strategic direction as Uganda seeks to expand housing supply and accelerate economic growth.
Finance Minister Henry Musasizi has urged the leadership of National Housing and Construction Company Limited (NHCC) to reposition the state-owned housing developer to play a bigger role in Uganda’s urbanisation and housing agenda.
Musasizi made the call during a meeting with the NHCC leadership, led by Board Chairman Sylvester Wanjuzi Wasieba and Chief Executive Officer Eng—Kenneth Kaijuka, who briefed the Minister on the company’s operations, performance and strategic direction.
The meeting comes as Uganda seeks to address the growing demand for decent and affordable housing, particularly in rapidly urbanising areas.
Wasieba told the Minister that NHCC is positioning itself to become Uganda’s leading developer of mass housing under the sustainable urbanisation and housing programme of the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV).
The strategy is expected to place NHCC at the centre of efforts to increase the country’s housing stock while supporting the development of well-planned urban settlements.
Established under the National Corporation Act of 1964, NHCC is mandated to increase Uganda’s housing stock by developing homes in planned environments. The company has therefore operated for more than six decades as a key government vehicle in the housing sector.
NHCC eyes Shs1 trillion asset base
A major target presented to the Minister is the expansion of NHCC’s asset base from its current Shs865 billion in 2026 to approximately Shs1 trillion within the next two to three years.
The target represents an increase of about Shs135 billion and signals the company’s intention to strengthen its balance sheet while expanding its contribution to the housing market.
Wasieba said the board is committed to growing the company’s asset base as part of its broader strategy to strengthen NHCC’s position in the national economy.
For NHCC, the challenge will be to translate its growing asset base into more housing developments and commercially sustainable projects, particularly as Uganda’s urban population and demand for housing continue to rise.
Musasizi calls for diversification
Musasizi urged NHCC management to look beyond its traditional activities and pursue business diversification that can strengthen the company’s contribution to Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Agenda.
The Minister emphasised the importance of having a clear strategic direction capable of positioning NHCC as a commercially viable and nationally relevant enterprise.
He also assured the company’s leadership that Government is prepared to support NHCC through various interventions to enable it to grow and make a sustainable contribution to national development.
The Government’s backing could prove important as NHCC seeks to scale up housing development, diversify its business and participate more substantially in Uganda’s urbanisation programme.
Housing at the centre of urbanisation
The renewed focus on NHCC comes at a time when Uganda’s rapid urban growth is increasing pressure on housing, infrastructure and land.
Under NDP IV, sustainable urbanisation and housing are part of the broader development agenda aimed at transforming Uganda’s economy and improving living conditions.
For NHCC, this creates both an opportunity and a responsibility: to expand housing supply while ensuring that new developments are integrated into properly planned urban environments.
The company’s proposed growth from Shs865 billion to Shs1 trillion in assets could therefore become an important measure of whether Uganda’s public housing developer can evolve from a traditional property developer into a major driver of mass housing and sustainable urban development.
