Ismail Musa Ladu
9 October 2008
Kampala — The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban development in partnership with National Housing and Construction Corporation Limited (NHCCL) will be hosting an international conference in on October 16-17 with the aim of discussing housing challenges and solutions.
According to the players in the housing sector, financing stands out as the major obstacle deterring individual ownership of houses thus the conference theme "financing shelter."
"We know that one of the major challenges facing many people (population) is financing a house and that is why we have this theme (financing shelter) so that all the discussions will be directed at challenges and solutions to housing financing," said the CEO of National Housing and construction Corporation, Joseph Kitamirike.
Addressing journalists on October 7, Mr Kitamirike said topics such as Public-private partnership for housing infrastructure, risk management and incentives for housing will be discussed by among others academics, various local stakeholders and guest speakers from abroad.
For the last one and half decades, the housing sector has been one of the fastest growing industries in the country though it should also be noted that this development is mainly urban based.
Nonetheless, even in the urban setting, the highest population cannot afford purchasing a house and so resorts to renting in the suburbs and others in the shanty and filthy slum areas.
The two day international housing conference that will take place at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort in Kampala is expected to tackle the aforementioned issues and come up with concrete resolutions that the government and the NHCCL will implement for the development of the housing sector in Uganda.
According to Mr Kitamirike, after the deliberations of the conference the government as the main stakeholders could be forced to reconsider its housing policy.
Speaking during the launch of the international conference, the minister of State for housing Michael Werikhe said such a conference would give Uganda a global forum for debate on housing.
"The IHA conference shall provide a global forum for networking, information sharing and discussions on common issues and concerns related specifically to housing and the home building sector; something that is good for this country," Mr Werikhe said.
According to the Minister the government would facilitate the conference and give it the character it deserves.
It is also expected that President Museveni will grace the conference with his presence.
Among the sponsors of the International housing conference are NTV, UAP, Uganda Clays, Business week, Stanbic bank and Casements Uganda Limited.
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