Screenshot
Higher education in Uganda has undergone a remarkable transformation.
When early universities such as Makerere were established, their founders envisioned self-sufficient institutions offering accommodation and social amenities, and not just teaching and research facilities.
Student halls of residence were central to campus life — serving meals, providing recreation, and fostering camaraderie and identity. Alumni still speak nostalgically of halls like Lumumba and Mitchell, which once symbolized pride and belonging.
Staff were also typically housed within university premises. Estates departments maintained these institutional assets, including staff quarters and student housing. This arrangement ensured a supportive academic environment: students accessed campus easily, enjoyed safety and social interaction, while staff focused on teaching and research without worrying about long commutes or housing challenges.
At the time, student numbers were modest, and government financing could comfortably sustain such infrastructure. However, the exponential growth in university enrollment over the past decades has placed enormous pressure on existing facilities.
Many public universities now accommodate far more students than they were originally designed for. The conversion of former national colleges into universities has further stretched limited infrastructure, especially for student and staff housing.
As a result, on-campus accommodation in most public universities has become scarce. Institutions with historical halls struggle with dilapidated structures due to years of underfunding, while many others have no facilities at all. Both students and staff are forced to seek housing off-campus – often far from university grounds, leading to long commutes, higher living costs, insecurity and less time for study or research.
To address this crisis, the government of Uganda, through the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) Unit of the ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, has adopted the alternative and innovative PPP model as a strategic solution.
A PPP allows government to collaborate with the private sector to deliver infrastructure and related services under clearly defined contracts. The model typically allocates responsibilities such as design, build, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM) to the private party for an agreed period, while government provides land, sets standards, and offers regulatory oversight and financial guarantees.
This arrangement eases the immediate financial burden on government while creating investment opportunities for the private sector. On time and on budget are the bedrock of this arrangement. Investors recover costs either through user fees, availability payments from government, or a mix of both.
Importantly, PPP contracts include performance incentives and penalties, ensuring service quality and accountability throughout the project life- cycle. Under this framework, government launched pilot accommodation projects in five public universities: Makerere University Business School, Kyambogo University, Busitema University, Mountains of the Moon University and Soroti University.
These projects aim to deliver modern, purpose- built student and staff residences equipped with essential amenities such as recreational spaces, cafeterias, business centers, laundry facilities and wellness areas.
The goal is to create an integrated environment that supports both academic and social well- being. Across the pilot universities, at least 15,000 student bed spaces and 500 staff housing units are planned, with room for future expansion. Kyambogo University has already advanced to the final stages of procurement, while feasibility studies for the other institutions are nearing completion.
Parallel to implementing the pilot phase at these universities, the model will be extended to other universities such as Kabale, Muni and Makerere. The initiative is expected to significantly enhance the quality of life for students and staff, strengthen institutional performance, and promote sustainable partnerships between the public and private sectors.
In readiness to implement the above alternative private sector-led financing model to solve student housing and other infrastructure needs, the PPP Unit has over the years rebuilt all systems that were lost; trained more than 1,000 public servants and ensured that at least 30 achieve internationally-recognized APMG certification.
The PPP Unit currently has 43 projects in its pipeline at various stages of implementation. Going forward in the next five years, the unit has put in place a strategy that will build on the foundation so far laid to blend approaches to grow the pipeline further and close projects faster.
By leveraging PPPs, Uganda is not only addressing a long-standing accommodation challenge but also setting a precedent for innovative infrastructure delivery in higher education.
The approach promises to restore the integrated campus experience once envisioned by the country’s founding education leaders — modern, inclusive, and conducive for learning and research.
The writer is a legal officer, at the Public Private Partnerships Unit, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
About the Author
