Grace Namirimu at her house. Even the most ambitious dreams can be realised - one brick, one pay cheque at a time. PHOTO/SARAH TUMWEBAZE
Grace Namirimu's journey from struggling single mother to proud homeowner began with a fundamental human need, the quest for security and stability. When she became a mother at 21, she instinctively knew that her time in her aunt’s home was over, she also knew renting would never provide the foundation she wanted for her young son.
This psychological drive for homeownership is well-documented by experts, who confirm that owning a home provides far more than just physical shelter; it fosters deep psychological well-being, particularly for single parents. For Namirimu, living in her aunt's crowded house represented more than just inconvenience; it symbolised a life of perpetual transience and uncertainty, something she was determined to change for herself and her child.
Her decision to build rather than continue renting reflects a growing trend among Uganda's working class, who are increasingly recognising the long-term benefits of homeownership. With urban rents skyrocketing, a single room in Kampala now averages Shs400,000 monthly, many are realising that construction loans, while initially daunting, may ultimately prove wiser investments than pouring money into endless rental payments.
Grace Namirimu poses for a photo during the interview. PHOTO/SARAH TUMWEBAZE
Namirimu's innovative approach of building incrementally while actually living in the unfinished structure mirrors tactics used in 63 percent of self-built homes across Uganda, according to recent statistics from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. This pragmatic strategy allowed her to redirect what would have been wasted rent money into completing her dream home.
Free plan
Many people read newspapers for news or entertainment, but Namirimu used the Daily Monitor in a special way. Every Wednesday, the paper published house plans in its Homes and Real Estate section. While most readers might have glanced at these plans briefly, she studied them carefully, until she got one that suited both her needs and her budget.
These free house plans became her guide to building an affordable home. Instead of paying an architect millions of shillings to design custom plans (which could cost about Shs2m), she adapted one of the newspaper's ready-made designs to suit her needs. This smart decision saved her a lot of money that she could then use for actual construction materials such as bricks, cement and roofing.
Financing
Namirimu's approach to financing her home offers powerful lessons in smart money management for ordinary people. She did not have a big salary or rich relatives, but through clever use of community-based financial systems, she made her dream home possible. First, she tapped into Uganda's strong Sacco (Savings and Credit Cooperative) network. The Shs15m loan she got through her workplace came at just 12 percent interest, which is much cheaper than the 22 percent banks typically charge. But Namirimu did not stop there. She also participated in a village savings group, where members pool their money through regular contributions. She regularly received Shs3m as pay out from her own savings plus a share of the group's funds, paid out in rotation. This system, now used by nearly one-third of Ugandan women, shows how small, regular savings can grow into meaningful amounts.
Live-as-you-build
Her most creative financial move? Moving into her unfinished house. While some might see this as uncomfortable, Namirimu saw it as brilliant economics. Instead of paying Shs300,000 every month in rent (money that would disappear forever), she used that same amount to gradually complete her own home. This "live-as-you-build" approach has become so successful that housing organisations now teach it as a model for low-income families. “It took me two months to build and close off the whole house and I moved in before plastering and doing the finishing. By then, I had spent all my money on the construction. Even though it was habitable, it had no power and water. Two months later, my sister gave me Shs2m, which I used to connect electricity,”Namirimu recounts.
Two years later, she got Shs2m from the village saving group which she used for plastering the house. In 2019, the construction stopped because at that time, she needed all her earnings for her son’s Shs2.5m a semester university tuition. Yet her path was far from smooth, and her challenges reflect systemic issues in Uganda's housing landscape. The Shs500,000 she lost in her initial land deal mirrors the risks faced by 28 percent of Ugandan land buyers, according to 2022 data from the Uganda Land Alliance. The agonising six-month delay in getting water connected to her property, despite having paid promptly, reflects the utility service gaps affecting 67 percent of self-built homes nationwide.
Systemic barriers
Namirimu’s story shows the challenges and victories of single women buying homes in Uganda. At first, she was cheated in a land deal, a common problem for women, only 26 percent own land alone in Uganda.
In the male-dominated construction industry, some workers doubted her because she was a single mother. But she proved them wrong by carefully tracking every detail in her notebook. She also faced tough choices, like stopping construction to pay for her son’s medical school. Despite these struggles, she succeeded in both, breaking the idea that women must choose between family and their dreams.
Key lessons
First, the importance of starting before feeling fully "ready" - Namirimu began saving a modest Shs280,000 salary, proving that small, consistent steps can lead to monumental achievements. Second, the value of leveraging free resources - from newspaper plans to community savings groups - that can dramatically reduce costs. Third, the effectiveness of flexible building approaches like Namirimu's "incremental housing" method, now championed by UN-Habitat as a sustainable model for urban development. These strategies collectively form a blueprint for homeownership that does not depend on windfalls or luck, but on persistence, creativity, and strategic use of available resources.
Legacy
The ripple effects of Namirimu’s achievement extend far beyond the physical structure of her home. Her son now stands to inherit not just a roof over his head, but a tangible asset that can serve as collateral for his future - a safety net that 82 percent of Ugandan youth currently lack. In her community, neighbours who once pitied the ‘‘single mother building slowly’’ now seek her advice, transforming her from object of pity to respected authority. Most profoundly, the experience has reshaped Namirimu’s own self-perception: ‘‘Now when challenges come,’’ she reflects, ‘‘I remember: I built a house. What can’t I do?’’. This quiet confidence exemplifies the transformative power of achieving what once seemed impossible.
