Matugga is perfect for homes, factory spaces, low-cost housing

Matugga lies over 20km north of Kampala City. That is close enough to the city for anyone to commute to and from the city with ease, and far enough to escape the chaos that characterises most suburbs of Kampala. The town lies in the fertile gentle hills that mark the Kampala metropolitan area. This means whether you are into backyard farming or dream of a perfect garden in your compound, you will be right at home here.

Even more importantly, if you have always dreamed of living on a farm while at the same time living in the city, this is a perfect time to buy a few acres in this arable village.

Matugga is currently a property hotspot, and for a good reason. First of all, it is one of the spots in the general Kampala Metropolitan area that has been earmarked as an Industrial zone.

In the future when Industrial parks are fully developed and populated, demand for low-cost housing and all the attendant services will go up. Secondly, the cost of public transport in a 14-seater taxi is Shs2,000, the same amount it costs to go to places like Seguku on Entebbe Road, or Namboole on Jinja Road.

Residential villages
Owing to its proximity to the city, Matugga is one of those places that are fast developing into residential hotspots.

Posh houses can be seen at different stages of construction on beautiful hills of Mabanda-Kilyagonja and Nkona. These two hills have varying degrees of great views of Matugga Town (they are that close) yet the price of land is quite attractive.

A standard plot (50x100ft) of land in Mabanda-Mulyagonja and Nkona is between Shs20m and Shs30m. These are the most expensive residential plots in Matugga and that is a good deal considering all the variables.

If that is out of your budget range, there are cheaper ones further east. In Sanga for instance, two kilometres towards Semuto, a 50ft by 100ft goes for as low as Shs15m. Sanga is a town centre that not only lies along the tarmac road, but also lies in the heart of the industrial park. This means that accessibility will not be such a challenge here.

But if you further go eastwards, a standard plot in Kavule goes for Shs8m. Most of these plots are as close as 100 metres from the main road, which is a great attraction for buyers if you plan on doing some property trading.

Plots smaller than the standard 50ft by 100ft are not in short supply. According to Fred Magala, a property broker in Matugga town, these are much cheaper than standard plots because they lack title deeds. Such a plot can go for as low as Shs3.5m to about Shs8m depending on several variables such as size and location. Almost none goes as high as Shs10m.

Industrial Park
There are plenty of Industrial spaces around Matugga on sale. Small-scale manufactures that foresee or dream of growth would do well to acquire space so close to the city. Magala says an acre of land in the industrial section of Matugga starts at about Shs200m in some places.

The Industrial Park lies along Semuto road and the topography here is almost spotlessly flat. Several sections are currently being closed off with perimeter wall fences, a sign that investors are getting ready to build.

Land for farming
For anyone looking to start a farm as close to the city as possible, an acre of arable land starts at Shs15m. The price is determined by how far the land is from the main road (Semuto Road), some going for as low as Shs10m.

Matugga is one of those places that is close enough to Kampala for one to live an urban life, yet far enough to live a country life.