The question of where Ugandans live and how they can realistically own decent homes took centre stage at the 7th Edition of the NBS Housing Baraza, where NBS positioned housing not just as an economic challenge, but as a national turning point.
Standing in for Group CEO Kin Kariisa, Next Media’s Chief Marketing and Ventures Officer, Joy Mwangi, delivered a speech that blended humour, candour, and a firm push for collective responsibility.
“Uganda welcomed me so warmly that I’m still wondering if I accidentally paid for VIP immigration service,” she said, drawing laughter before grounding the moment in the day’s core message: Uganda feels like home long before many can afford to build one.
That tension, between belonging and the difficulty of securing a physical home, shaped the event’s theme: A Home for Every Ugandan.
In the address, Mwangi didn’t treat housing as a construction issue, but framed it as a pillar of national dignity.
“A home is far more than shelter. It is where children find safety, where families plan their futures,” she said.
For her, if Uganda gets housing right, it lifts everything from family stability to long-term national planning.
Mwangi also reminded all in attendance and watching on NBS that Next Media’s continued organisation of the NBS Housing Baraza was beyond symbolism and was more about its purpose: Inform to Transform.
“We don’t organise this to tick off KPIs, we do so as catalysts - pushing for accountability, clarity, and action,” she said.
She also laid out the company’s growth from the two rooms in 2008 to a multimedia ecosystem with more than 20 brands, over 500 staff, and a daily reach of more than 30 million Ugandans as a responsibility, not a statistic.
“When you reach tens of millions of people a day, you cannot afford to joke with your mission,” she added, before acknowledging Ugandans’ gift for humour as part of the national identity.
The Baraza, now in its seventh year, has become a forum where the country’s most persistent housing bottlenecks - land issues, finance, building standards, access to utilities - are laid bare.
“It brings the right voices into the room beyond the talk shows and white papers, but for solutions,” Mwangi told the audience.
She stressed that the ordinary Ugandan remains at the centre of the conversation: the couple renting in Kawempe, the teacher building in phases in Lira, the single mother saving for land in Masaka.
“If our conversations do not improve life for these people, then we are simply making speeches,” she warned.
Mwangi was also straightforward about the gaps the sector must confront.
“Affordability must improve. Infrastructure must catch up with population growth. Access to clean water, sanitation, electricity, and waste management must be treated as part of housing and not just an afterthought.”
She described homeownership as a milestone any Ugandan should reach with planning and effort, not a privilege reserved for a few.
No single player can fix Uganda’s housing challenge, and Mwangi emphasised that government, private sector, developers, banks, utilities, and the media must operate on a shared agenda.
“Partnerships are the engine room of delivery,” she said.
Mwangi’s speech closed on a call to match ambition with action.
“Ugandans deserve homes that allow them not just to live but to thrive,” she said.
And then, in a line that blended resolve and cultural familiarity, she added, “A Home for Every Ugandan is not a dream. It is a responsibility. And we shall manage.”
The Baraza may not solve the housing gap overnight. But the message from Next Media, through NBS, was that progress starts with honest conversations, shared accountability, and the stubborn belief that Uganda can - and MUST - give every citizen a place to call home.