NSSF to hand over first 350 Temangalo housing units in March 2027

Uganda's National Social Security Fund (NSSF) expects to hand over the first 350 housing units at its Temangalo housing project in Wakiso District on March 31, 2027, with prospective buyers expected to start booking the houses at the end of this month.

NSSF Managing Director Patrick Ayota told Parliament's Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) on Wednesday that construction of the first phase is about 75 per cent complete. Pre-sales will allow interested buyers to reserve units through initial deposits and down payments ahead of completion, he said.

The update came as legislators questioned whether the fund's housing investments are meeting the needs of ordinary contributors. Budadiri East MP Julius Nakiyi cited Kenya's NSSF rent-to-own model, which lets buyers acquire homes through more flexible payment arrangements, and urged Uganda's fund to consider a similar approach.

Ayota acknowledged that the fund had not done enough to address Uganda's housing affordability challenges, although he said it had diversified its developments: Lubowa targets the high-end market, Kyanja is intended for middle-income earners and Temangalo is an attempt at relatively affordable housing. He said land acquisition, supporting infrastructure and tax obligations keep development costs high, and appealed for a deliberate national housing programme with budgetary and policy support. He cited Kenya, where state land provision, infrastructure and tax incentives had helped cut development costs by about 40 per cent.

On the fund's Nakasero office development, Ayota said handover of NSSF Pension Towers remains scheduled for January 31, 2027, with 12 prospective tenants to be engaged on their preferred office layouts before occupation.

The testimony formed part of COSASE's wider inquiry into the fund's investment decisions, project implementation and management of workers' retirement savings.