Kampala to Host Major Real Estate Expo:All Eyes on Housing Solutions
Weere Timothy,Kampala, 18th.September 2025
Today, at a press conference held at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, key stakeholders in the land, housing and real estate sectors formally announced the 1st Uganda Real Estate & Housing Expo (UREHE) 2025, set to take place 26th–28th September 2025 at Kati Kati Grounds, Lugogo.
The theme for the expo is: “Resilient by Design, Affordable by Intent: Shaping the Future of Real Estate.” It brings together the Ministry of Lands, Housing & Urban Development, Douglas Events Limited, Uganda Society of Architects, the Surveyors Registration Board, and associations including AREA Uganda, UNABSEC, the Interior Designers Association, among others.
Key Announcements & Highlights
Purpose & Goals: The Expo seeks to bridge the gap between developers, investors, and consumers. It aims to spotlight affordable housing, sustainable and resilient design, responsible land use, and innovation in real estate delivery.
Programmes & Features:
A high‐level conference on topics such as PropTech, green building, financing models for housing, regulatory frameworks, urban planning and transforming informal settlements.
Exhibition by over 300 exhibitors from across East Africa – covering building materials, interior design, construction technology, smart living, sustainable housing models, and legal/professional services.
Expected crowd: more than 6,000 visitors including end‐users, developers, financiers, policymakers, academia, and private citizens.
Challenges & Commitments Raised
During the press briefing, officials emphasized several challenges:
Affordable housing deficit: Many Ugandans still face difficulty finding housing that is both livable and within financial reach. The expo is being positioned partly to help generate solutions.
Urbanization pressure: Rapid growth in Kampala and other cities demands better planning, infrastructure, and more vertical development to maximize land use.
Regulatory & Financing Gaps: Stakeholders highlighted the need for improved regulatory framework, affordable loans or financing models, exploring diaspora investment, and more public‐private partnerships.
Government representatives, including the State Minister for Housing, pledged to work with partners to ensure the expo doesn’t just serve as a showcase, but delivers concrete plans for housing affordability and sustainable development.
Why It Matters
Uganda’s real estate and housing sector is a major contributor to GDP and has strong potential for growth, especially if constraints around cost, regulation, and infrastructure are addressed.
The expo offers a platform for dialogue, innovation, and collaboration, bringing together consumers, developers, financiers, tech innovators, and policy makers. Solutions discussed here could impact how housing is built, financed and accessed across the country.
For ordinary Ugandans, there is hope that through this expo, more affordable and sustainable housing options may become available—moving beyond rhetoric into real delivery.
Takeaways & What to Watch
Whether the promised models of affordable housing will be clearly laid out with pricing and locations.
Innovations in construction (materials, technologies) that reduce costs while maintaining quality.
Financing mechanisms – including whether there will be viable mortgage, rent‐to‐own or diaspora‐investment opportunities.
Policy/regulation updates: permits, land acquisition, zoning, environmental and green building standards.
Post‐expo follow‐through: what commitments are fulfilled, and whether any pilot projects arise.
The Uganda Real Estate & Housing Expo 2025 begins in just over a week. It could mark a turning point in how housing is conceptualized, financed, and delivered in Uganda—if the momentum generated at today’s press conference is carried through into action.
