Hon. Judith Nabakooba

Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Republic of Uganda

Strategic Mandate

Hon. Judith Nabakooba is the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development of the Republic of Uganda. Her portfolio is central to Uganda’s investment environment because land security, planned urban growth, housing delivery and spatial development determine how rapidly projects move from concept to execution. The Ministry’s mandate covers the rational, sustainable and effective use and management of land, the orderly development of urban and rural areas, and the provision of safe, planned and adequate housing for socio-economic development. This mandate includes land administration, land registration, valuation, physical planning, urban development, housing policy, human settlement, land use regulation and compliance. These functions place the Ministry at the centre of Uganda’s wider industrialisation, infrastructure, urban development and investment-readiness agenda.

Housing and Urban Development Opportunity

Uganda’s housing sector presents a major investment opportunity. Recent government policy material identifies a national housing deficit of approximately 2.4 million to 2.6 million units, with the country requiring around 300,000 new housing units annually to close the gap. This demand is driven by population growth, urbanisation, rising household formation and the expansion of secondary cities. The housing opportunity is not limited to residential construction. It extends across the full urban development value chain, including serviced land, affordable housing, mortgage finance, construction materials, industrial housing, urban renewal, planning systems, land digitisation, drainage, roads, water, waste management and climate-resilient infrastructure. For British and Indian companies, Uganda offers practical entry points across public-private partnerships, affordable housing delivery, modular construction, green building materials, smart city planning, geospatial technology, land information systems, infrastructure finance, project preparation and construction supply chains. Government policy priorities also create opportunities for private-sector participation in affordable housing, low-cost construction, land servicing, housing finance, mortgage liquidity, institutional housing delivery and long-term partnerships with developers, financiers and infrastructure providers.

Industrial Platforms and Investment Readiness

Hon. Nabakooba’s portfolio directly supports Uganda’s industrial platform agenda. Planned land use, secure tenure, urban infrastructure and serviced development sites are essential for manufacturing zones, logistics parks, agro-processing facilities, mining services, commercial real estate and housing for industrial workforces. As Uganda advances its Tenfold Growth Strategy and wider industrialisation priorities, land and urban development will play a decisive role in turning investment interest into bankable projects. Investors need clear land records, predictable planning systems, serviced locations and urban infrastructure that can support production, trade and long-term capital deployment.

UKAIS 2026 Summit Contribution

At UKAIS 2026, Hon. Nabakooba will contribute to discussions on land bankability, housing investment, urban development and industrial platforms. Her perspective will be important in examining how secure land rights, planned urban growth and investable spatial frameworks can reduce project risk and attract long-term capital. Her contribution will speak directly to investors, developers, financiers, planners and infrastructure operators assessing Uganda’s next phase of growth. She will help frame how land policy, housing delivery and urban infrastructure can support bankable projects, production zones, logistics systems, commercial real estate and export-oriented industrial development. Her participation aligns directly with the Summit theme, Trade Corridors and Industrial Platforms: From Access to Production. Her role connects policy, land systems, urban infrastructure and private investment with the practical foundations needed to move from market access to production-led growth.