UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | In Kampala, the majority of city people rely on renting their homes, which leads to high rental prices as a result of the stiff competition.
Let us look at areas in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area where you can still rent an affordable home.
Saul Nsubuga, a real estate agent in Nansana Kitawuluzi East (II) B in the Wakiso District of Kampala Metropolitan, notes that the variations in rental costs between Kampala and the surrounding locations are what led him to choose his current abode.
He claims that the majority of Kampala landlords base the rates they charge for their houses on several variables, such as proximity to other regions, the environment, the availability of social services, and the location of the tenant’s place of employment, among others.
So, where can a middle-class earner in Kampala find reasonably priced rentals?
Nansana
Nansana is on the main highway between Kampala and Hoima, the Kampala-Hoima Road. The town is located approximately 12 kilometres (7 miles), by road, northwest of Kampala. This is approximately 8 kilometres (5 miles), by road, south of Wakiso District.
Saul Nsubuga claims that he settled in Nansana because of its reasonable rent and proximity to his place of employment.
Busabala
Ronald Kinobi, a resident of Kawemba, Kabuuma Village in Busabala Parish, agrees that Kabuuma is known for being reasonably priced and for having cool weather near Lake Victoria.
He says that the size of the property and the amenities affect the neighbourhood’s rent. The location offers social services and a welcoming atmosphere.
Different operators and land brokers are drawn to the region as a result of its constant expansion.
The recent relocation of Rahuma Namutebi from Lubaga to Gangu Village, Busabala Parish, was motivated by the reasonable housing costs in the area.
She claims, however, that the area’s development is still being hampered by bad roads.
Salaama Road Munyonyo
Paul Musoke, a resident of Salaama Luwafu Parish, Makindye Division says, “Moving to the place was a bad move for a person like him who dislikes noise. The place is a home for celebrities, bars and businesses but he says that the area is affordable.”
In Salaama, a whole home might cost anywhere between USh600,000 and USh2 million, depending on the quality and amenities.
Salaama Road is known for its potholes, but outside that, the area has some great rentals, including duplex homes with two linked units, singles, doubles, and self-contained whole houses.
In addition, the region has a wide range of social services, including those required for residential areas such as pharmacies, schools, supermarkets, and gyms.
In neighbourhoods like Binzaali, Kulekaana, and Boston, among others, renting a brand-new two-bedroom house on Salaama Road for USh800,000 a month is convenient.
Kabuuma
Off Salaama Road and along Munyonyo, Kabuuma has become a more affordable option for the majority of Kampala residents.
Kabuuma, 13 kilometres from the heart of Kampala, contains amenities for all socioeconomic groups except flats.
The land in the neighbourhood starts at USh26 million for a 40×40 ft piece of land, according to Kabuuma resident and private real estate dealer Herbert Ssenteza. This has encouraged developers to invest in rental properties.
He claims that the Buganda mailo land system, which makes the land more cheap in contrast to the private mailo, which is quite expensive in other districts of Kampala, has enabled growth in the area.
According to Ssenteza, renting a home in Kabuuma can range from USh70,000 to USh100,000 for a single room with a ceiling, USh250,000 for a standalone one-bedroom home and USh300,000 for both a single bedroom and a double bedroom, depending on the other housing amenities.
The cost of a home varies according to its size, its interior and exterior features, and its location.
Bweyogerere
Bweyogerere is on the Kampala-Jinja Highway about 13 kilometres east of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. It is convenient for everyone who lives in Bweyogerere and commutes to Kampala for work.
Due to the Mandela National Stadium-Namboole, Bweyogerere is well-known for hosting Ugandan soccer which means it is an area good for business.
The Kampala Northern Bypass Highway, a top-notch motorway that relieves traffic congestion in the city centre and allows cross-country traffic to avoid the city’s core region, is close to Bweyogerere. The working-class residents of this area may easily access this freeway.
Business is growing, and the area has seen a steady increase in population as it has established itself as a very welcoming neighbourhood that welcomes residents from all different socioeconomic groups.
Depending on how near it is to the main road, a self-contained double room may cost between USh550,000 and USh600,000 to rent, while a two-room home rents for around USh500,000. The lower socioeconomic class appears to have little choice but to reside in low-lying locations, in communal housing, and to share basic requirements.
The low-income class relies on nearby protected or unprotected wells (springs) for their water requirements because they are unable to afford to pay for them.
Most of these water sources are becoming polluted by waste flow from bathrooms and toilets built in the neighbourhoods or waste dumps nearby due to the area’s expanding urbanisation trend.
Bweyogerere was at one point in the early 2000s infamous for iron bar hitmen who frequently terrorised the locals.
Many individuals will still tell you that Bweyogerere’s majority of neighbourhoods are quite unsafe due to the area’s numerous dark lanes. In deeper parts of Buuto, Kakajjo, and Kitoro, this is still a concern.
Locals, however, claim that despite police efforts to address the problem, little progress has been made.
Kampala Property Market
Depending on their location, single-room houses can cost anywhere between USh120,000 and USh450,000 and USh500,000 for self-contained ones in localities like Bweyogerere Kimwanyi, Kira, Kireka, Kirinya, and Kyaliwajala.
Makindye, Kizungu, Luwafu, Zone Five Konge, Lukuli, and Nanganda are further locations. A single-bedroom property costs between USh260,000 and USh350,000 or more in certain localities.
If you are seeking affordable property in the Kampala metropolitan region, you may also check out Kalungu, Kawuku-Ggaba, Ssentema, Mpelerwe, and Bunamwaanya.
Prime Residences
In the upscale neighbourhoods of Prime Residences Kampala, rent is occasionally expressed in foreign currencies.
Kololo, Muyenga, Munyonyo, Naguru, Bukoto, Buziga, and other soon-to-be-built neighbourhoods including Buwaate, Kira, Najjeera, and Ntinda are some examples of these places.
A six or five-bedroom home in Kololo, Muyenga, Munyonyo, Naguru, Bukoto, and Buziga may cost you US$3,500, which is the equivalent of USh13 million, according to Ecoland Property Services.
Most residential properties in a few high-end homes tested on Knight Frank’s website cost between US$1,300 (USh4,922,248) and $6000 (USh22,718,070) or more.
How Secure are the Affordable Areas?
The most affordable parts of Kampala are frequently targets of crimes including burglaries and various types of theft.
According to Luke Owoyesigire, deputy spokesman for the Kampala Metropolitan Police, everyone must exercise caution, regardless of where they live.
He says that similar to the costly areas, all of Kampala’s affordable locations are safe, except a few sites, although security is always increased based on demand.
“All places are safe for Ugandans only that sometimes we register some cases but that is not limited to a specific place. In Muyenga robberies are registered, thefts are registered like what happens in Kamwokya,” Owoyesigire explains.
Kampala’s Housing Crisis
According to the 2017 Uganda National Household Survey carried out by the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF), 71 per cent of Kampala people rent their houses.
A global charity organisation called Habitat for Humanity which works in local communities estimates that 2.4 million housing units are lacking in Uganda, of which 210,000 are in urban areas and 1.395 million are in rural areas.
An estimated 900,000 units require updating or replacement because they are substandard.
The population of Uganda is expected to reach 48 million by the end of 2022. According to the organisation, there will be roughly 52 million people living in the nation by 2025, with a housing shortage of about four million.
In both rural and urban regions, Uganda’s housing situation is characterised by insufficient housing in terms of both number and quality.
Why Rental Prices Are High in Kampala
The Bank of Uganda reports that the total real estate market, which includes loans and construction, climbed 12.8% to USh3.19 trillion (US$860.9m) in September 2019.
The need for affordable housing brought on by the increasing urbanisation and population expansion is another factor influencing costs.
Uganda’s thriving rental market makes real estate a profitable industry. More individuals favour renting than purchasing real estate.
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