Published on 30/04/2025
Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development is seeking UGX127 billion to construct a new headquarters ahead of its looming eviction from Development House in Kampala.
Parliament plans to demolish the building to create more office space for Members of parliament and parliamentary staff.
This was revealed by Tony Awany, Vice Chairperson of Parliament’s Physical Infrastructure Committee, on April 16, 2025, during the presentation of the 2025/26 Ministerial Policy Statement for the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development.
“The Committee was informed that the Parliamentary Commission intends to demolish Development House—which currently houses the Ministry—and construct new offices for Members and staff of Parliament. This has necessitated the Ministry’s relocation,” Awany said.
Awany defended the Ministry’s request for UGX127 billion, citing the sensitivity of the information and infrastructure it handles. He explained, “The Ministry informed the Committee that due to the sensitive nature of its data and infrastructure, and in light of current budget constraints, it is opposed to renting. Instead, it requested government funding to begin construction of a permanent headquarters, which would also eliminate ongoing rental costs and facilitate the secure relocation of sensitive assets.”
Parliament also learned that the Ministry is considering signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Housing and Construction Company Limited (NHCCL) to build its new premises in Lubowa. The Ministry views NHCCL as a more viable partner than a private developer, citing reduced financial pressure on government.
However, the plan was temporarily halted by the Ministry of Finance through the Second Budget Call Circular (BCC) for FY 2024/25, which instructed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to freeze new office construction and instead focus on existing priority areas.
The Committee further noted that in October 2017, Cabinet approved a policy proposal to collaborate with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to finance a one-stop Government Campus at Bwebajja. This facility was intended to accommodate all MDAs currently paying rent for office space, a cost that was rising by an unsustainable 12% annually.
Construction of the Government Campus was initially set to begin in 2025 with completion expected in four years. “Given the current budget constraints and the Ministry’s need to vacate Development House, the Committee recommends that government fast-track the implementation of this project. Doing so would significantly reduce rent expenditures across government,” Awany added.
This development comes at a time when Parliament is renting office space at Queen’s Chambers on Parliamentary Avenue and Kingdom Hall along Nile Avenue—both owned by businessman Sudhir Ruparelia. The decision to rent from private entities has drawn public criticism, with many citing Parliament’s growing size as a burden on taxpayers.
The issue has been a focal point for the Opposition. In March, Shadow Minister for Public Service, Anna Adeke, proposed reducing the number of MPs by having each district represented by only two MPs—a man and a woman. She argued that Uganda’s Parliament is disproportionately large compared to countries with much larger populations.
Her proposal, outlined in the Opposition’s Alternative Policy Statement for the Public Service Sector for FY 2025/26, claimed that Uganda’s 529 MPs represent a population of 48.66 million—an average of just 91,984 people per legislator.
“In contrast,” Adeke noted, “India has 552 MPs for 1.38 billion people, with each MP representing about 2.5 million citizens. China has 2,980 legislators for 1.439 billion people—around 482,000 citizens per MP. Nigeria, with 206 million people, has 360 MPs, each representing approximately 570,000 people.”
Adeke added, “Uganda’s Parliament is unnecessarily large. A leaner House would allow MPs to contribute more meaningfully to debate and ensure more effective representation. We propose either a two-MP-per-district model or a requirement that each MP represent at least 200,000 people, taking into account constituency size. This would reduce Parliament by 50%.”
