Farm land grows into a real estate hub
Matugga got its name from Fred Matugga, a resident who had a house on this hill in the 1980s. photos by Shabibah Nakirigya.
What you need to know:
While Matugga is still a remote area with many farmers, it is on its way to development as a number of real estate companies are setting up estates in the area.
If you are travelling from northern Uganda, the moment you reach Matugga, you know you are in a distance between 30 to 40 minutes to get to Kampala city. Matugaa is 12 kilometres from the city. It is located in Wakiso District, Gombe County, Matugga Sub-county. The area is surrounded by Kabunza, Kilyowa, Nasse and Sanga sub–counties.
Transport costs
Since it is still a developing area, the number of people travelling to that side, especially on working days, is limited.
This is why it takes 40 minutes to one hour for a Matugga bound taxi in the Old Taxi Park to fill up and the transport fare is Shs2,500. If you are to use a private car, it will take you 30 minutes, with fuel of at least Shs20,000.
History
The name Matugga was adopted from the late Fred Matugga who had a house on a hill located in the town in the 1980s. When he died; the hill was named after him.
Developments
The LC1 chairman, Jonathan Luwagga says Matugga, is developing at a slow rate with two factories, Every Day Biscuits and Victory paints. A few fuel stations have been constructed in the area. “We also have two taxi parks, a market and primary and secondary schools. We have private hospitals and a health centre II.”
He, however, says, “The area still needs more development because there is high youth unemployment yet the population is very high.
Water and electricity
The area has both borehole and piped water. Residents who do not have piped water in their homes can get it from the boreholes and wells. The area is also well connected with electricity.
Community setup
Mr Luwaga says since Matugaa is along the highway from northern Uganda, most people from the north find it suitable to settle there. “This is why you will find mixed tribes like the Lugubara, Karimojong, Sudanese and Baganda.”
Security
The chairperson says the crime rate in Matugga is high, with most cases being petty theft because of the high unemployment rate in the area. He says, “When we get such cases, we refer them to Matugga Police Station, thenthe suspects are prosecuted at the then Matugga Magistrates Court.” However, if you intend to move to Matugga, within the next few months, it would be better to either set up a farm or a house because there are very limited business opportunities in the area. But within five years, Matugga will be a good business hub because a number of real estate companies are setting up estates there.
Land and housing
Housing. Buying a three- bedroom house costs Shs50m and above while renting a three-bedroom self-contained house costs Shs300,000 per month.
Land. The land in Matugga is divided into two; One side is Kabaka‘s land and the other is mailo land. The area is dominated with home steads and most people are farmers. However, there are few businesses carried out in the trading centre. Mailo land is more expensive than Kabaka land. If you are to buy a 50ft by 100ft plot of Mailo land, it starts from 20m while a 100ft by 100ft costs between Shs30. For Kabaka’s land, a 50ft by 100ft plot of land costs Shs10m and Shs25m while 100ft by 100ft is about Shs30m.
