The State Minister for Urban Development, Margaret Muhanga has told Parliament that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has backed a plan to gradually shift Uganda’s administrative capital from Kampala to Nakasongola.
Muhanga told the Lands and Housing Committee on Wednesday, July 12th, 2026, that government will begin by relocating selected ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), with the wider transition expected to run up to 2040.
The plan is aimed at tackling Kampala’s worsening congestion, poor urban planning and pressure on infrastructure.
“Who is happy living in this city? I am not. We lose $1.6 billion annually due to this traffic jam. People have to wake up at 4am to make it to work at 8am. That is insane, Kampala is unlivable, it is unchangeable, it is untenable, and we must move out of it,” Muhanga said.
She added that government had considered relocating the capital to established regional cities such as Mbarara, Fort Portal and Gulu, but rejected the idea because some already face urban planning challenges similar to Kampala. She, however, said that Nakasongola offers a chance to build a modern and well-planned administrative centre from scratch.
“Nakasongola is more centrally located, underpopulated and we have a lot of land there. That is where we had decided to shift and the president was so much in for this capital shift,” Muhanga added.
The minister said the move would be gradual rather than an overnight relocation.
“You don’t start it in one day. It can go up to 2040. Actually, it is in our Vision 2040 that we start slowly, moving different ministries, departments and agencies,” she noted.
The proposal has sparked concern among Kampala property owners, who fear that moving government offices could leave commercial buildings without tenants and weaken the city’s economy.
Muhanga dismissed the fears, saying Kampala would remain an important commercial centre even after the administrative shift.
“Right now everyone is scared of what will happen to Kampala, that their buildings will not be rented. But Kampala will be here, nobody will lose anything,” she said.
The Committee Chairperson, Edson Rugumayo backed the proposal but demanded a clear implementation plan, noting that the idea of moving the capital has been discussed for years without significant action.
