It is a rainy Monday afternoon at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort, the kind that quietly cancels ambition. No one is thinking of teeing off or testing their swing. Instead, umbrellas pile near the entrance, tables fill early, and conversations linger longer than planned. Ms Linda Nabakka arrives dressed in a black formal suit, dark heeled shoes clicking softly against the floor. There is a gentleness about her presence, but also a composure that feels deliberate. She carries herself with the kind of confidence that does not announce itself, but settles into a room easily.
It is not hard to see why she has spent years navigating boardrooms, developers’ offices, and policy discussions in Uganda’s competitive real estate sector.
We settle at a quiet corner table. The order is simple: ribs glazed in sauce, mashed potatoes on the side. Nothing elaborate. Much like the conversation that follows: fluid, reflective, and grounded in experience rather than salesmanship.
Ms Nabakka is a real estate professional whose career has somewhat placed her at the centre of Uganda’s evolving property landscape. She previously served as chief executive officer of the Association of Real Estate Agents (Uganda), a role that immersed her deeply in policy, regulation, and market coordination. Today, she is the director of operations at Pishon Consults Limited, focusing more deliberately on field experience, advisory work, and personal investment.
Looking different from outside
That transition from formal leadership into hands-on practice has reshaped how she sees the sector. ‘Leaving the formal leadership role gave me freedom,’ Ms Nabakka says. ‘I moved from seeing real estate as a corporate asset to building a personal portfolio and gaining practical field experience.’ From the field, she explains, patterns become harder to ignore. ‘You begin to see not just buildings, but behaviours, how people buy, where they hesitate, and why entire housing developments sometimes fail to speak to the people they were designed for.’
Uganda’s cities, particularly Kampala, are expanding in two directions at once. Neighbourhoods stretch outward into areas that were once quiet and distant. At the same time, apartment blocks and condominiums rise where single-family homes once stood. On paper, it is growth. On the ground, Ms Nabakka says, it is uneven.
‘Developers are improving. They’re incorporating extended family spaces, communal areas, flexible payment plans, and mixed-use developments. But there’s still a gap in fully understanding the market,’ she notes.
That gap, she says, often begins with how people live and earn.
Over the years, Ms Nabakka has watched infrastructure reshape demand. Roads and expressways do more than improve movement; they redefine value.
‘The early days of navigating Kampala’s rapid growth really shaped my understanding. Improved infrastructure and growing commercial hubs opened up new neighbourhoods,’ she explains.
The real estate professional points to the ripple effects of major projects such as the Entebbe Expressway, which unlocked entire corridors for development. Sector-specific activity, such as oil and gas, has driven property values in places like Hoima. In contrast, areas such as Kisasi and Kyanja continue to attract buyers due to urbanisation and economic opportunities. Yet as demand rises, affordability remains stubbornly out of reach for many.
Building for who?
One of the most persistent questions in Uganda’s real estate conversation is why so much housing does not align with incomes. Ms Nabakka does not hesitate.
‘The disconnect stems from high construction costs,’ she says. ‘Most developers handle everything in-house, which leads to expensive housing units.’ The cost of materials, combined with the expense of infrastructure roads, electricity, and water, inevitably finds its way into the final price. What remains is housing that meets structural standards but fails the affordability test.
Public-private partnerships, she believes, are part of the missing solution. ‘We need partnerships to drive low-cost housing initiatives. Without coordinated effort, the market will continue producing homes that sell slowly or only to a narrow segment of buyers.’ From her vantage point, the problem is not a lack of ambition. If anything, ambition is plentiful. Ms Nabakka has worked closely with developers across the industry. She describes them as resilient and opportunistic, quick to spot gaps and willing to take risks.
‘They see opportunities and move fast,’ she says. ‘Many are very focused on scaling new projects.’ What sets some apart, she adds, is intention. ‘There are developers who dream big, who focus on building cities, transforming the skyline, providing low-cost housing, and improving standards of living.’ Still, market realities exert pressure. Speed of return remains a powerful driver. ‘Developers are driven by market demand and speed of return on investment,’ Ms Nabakka says. ‘But there are also those driven by purpose, a calling to improve housing in the country.’ Balancing profit, purpose, and patience is where many projects succeed or falter.
What do the buyers want?
As rain continues to tap lightly against the windows, the conversation turns to buyers, the group that ultimately bears the greatest risk. ‘Ugandan property buyers are looking for value, security, and smart investments,’ Ms Nabakka says. ‘Their biggest anxieties are affordability, returns, and fraud.’ Fraud, in particular, has become a defining concern. Uganda’s real estate sector has grown rapidly, but regulation has struggled to keep pace. The result is uneven trust. ‘Trust is hard to build because the sector has largely been unregulated,’ she says. ‘Rapid growth with limited oversight has led to fraud and unfulfilled promises.’
During her work around policy frameworks such as the Real Estate Bill, the Condominium Act 2022, and the Physical Planning Act, Ms Nabakka saw the tension between development and regulation up close. Rules, she says, are necessary but enforcement matters just as much. Until then, buyers continue navigating uncertainty largely on their own. That uncertainty often leads to costly errors. Ms Nabakka lists them carefully. ‘Before purchase, many buyers skip due diligence and feasibility studies. After purchase, problems persist, failure to update property records, secure assets, or thoroughly review legal documents.’
‘People think ownership ends at payment,’ she says. ‘But that’s where responsibility begins.’ Effective ownership, in her view, requires continuous attention, legal awareness, and a clear plan for how the property will be used.
Finding her feet
Real estate remains a tough, male-dominated space, and Ms Nabakka is candid about the pressure that comes with it. ‘The pressure came from all angles, developers, buyers, and within the industry itself,’ she says. As a woman, she often felt the need to work harder to be taken seriously. Over time, she learned to lean into strengths the industry does not always value enough. ‘Women bring honesty,’ she says. ‘They’re relational, they focus on long-term connections, and they multitask well.’ Mentorship played a critical role in her journey.
She credits figures such as Ms Catherine Nanteza for early guidance, and networks like the AREA Uganda’s Women Council for support and connection. These experiences, she says, shaped her leadership style, less about dominance, more about collaboration. As Uganda’s cities expand, the central question remains whether development truly aligns with lived reality. Do homes reflect how families earn, commute, and relate?
Ms Nabakka sees progress, but also blind spots.
Developers are beginning to factor in extended family living, communal spaces, flexible payment plans, and mixed-use designs. These changes acknowledge how people actually live. Still, she says, understanding remains incomplete. ‘There’s progress,’ she notes, ‘but there’s still a gap in fully understanding the market.’ That gap becomes visible in empty apartments, stalled projects, and homes priced just beyond reach.
Notes for a developer’s ear
If she were advising a developer privately, Ms Nabakka says she would urge innovation not just in design, but in construction methods themselves. ‘Explore innovative construction technologies,’ she says. ‘Precast panels, wood, modular blocks, sustainable materials, they can mean stronger, cheaper housing.’
She points to regional examples where cost-effective methods are already reshaping affordability. Technology, she believes, is opening doors Uganda cannot afford to ignore.
‘To build for the future,’ she adds, ‘prioritise location, durability, and truly understand your buyers.’ As plates are cleared and the rain begins to ease, the conversation turns to the future. Ms Nabakka is optimistic, particularly about the role women will play. She believes women can help bridge Uganda’s estimated 2.4 million housing deficit by partnering with developers and constructing affordable projects for low- to middle-income earners. Regulation, she adds, will be key.
‘We will push for a regulated sector that improves transparency,’ she says. ‘In ten years, we will see a thriving real estate industry contributing meaningfully to Uganda’s GDP.’
Issue.
Before purchase, many buyers skip due diligence and feasibility studies. After purchase, problems persist, failure to update property records, secure assets, or thoroughly review legal documents. People think ownership ends at payment. But that’s where responsibility begins.
– Linda Nabakka, director of operations at Pishon Consults Limited