The Head of the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), Col. Edith Nakalema, has pledged government support to Eritrean investors facing regulatory delays, particularly in obtaining building approvals from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
Speaking during a meeting held at SHIPU offices on July 1, Col. Nakalema reaffirmed President Yoweri Museveni’s directive to protect and support investors operating in Uganda. “The President is always directing us to ensure that we support investors and protect their investments,” she told the delegation led by Mr. Samuel Tsegoi, Managing Director of Concord Apartments.
The dialogue was a follow-up to a June 18 engagement involving Eritrean investors in sectors such as manufacturing and micro-processing.
Tsegoi raised concerns over long delays in securing building permits, which he said have stretched up to two years. “Being a government office, we have to wait, but that causes serious delays in the project,” he said.
Responding to the concerns, Vincent Byendaimira, KCCA’s Director of Physical Planning, clarified that the building approval process is now faster than before. “We have reduced the processing time for permits to under four weeks,” he said. He explained that the system is two-tiered—beginning with development permission, followed by the building permit.
To address bureaucratic bottlenecks, Byendaimira recommended the use of the Integrated Revenue Administration System (IRAS), a digital platform developed by KCCA’s ICT department to streamline operations. He encouraged investors to assert their rights when processes stall, but cautioned against paying service providers before receiving full approval. “Once paid, some service providers lose motivation to follow up,” he said.
On building height restrictions, particularly in Kololo, Byendaimira advised investors to verify land-use conditions before purchasing land, noting that the presence of foreign missions in the area limits how high buildings can be constructed due to privacy and security considerations.
Regarding community concerns in Makindye, where Eritrean investors attend an Orthodox church, Mr. Byendaimira promised to inspect the drainage issues affecting road access and consider constructing a bridge to ease tensions with local residents.
He also warned investors to watch out for fraudsters posing as KCCA officials. “Report any such cases directly to me for action,” he said.
Col. Nakalema praised the investors for their commitment to Uganda’s development, but cautioned that “during election seasons, negative elements may attempt to politicize investor issues to derail progress.”
The meeting was also attended by Bernard Tukwasibwe, a KCCA physical planner, and senior officials from SHIPU.
