20+ Tallest Buildings In Kampala, Uganda

Uganda is a country located in the Eastern part of Africa. The name was derived from the Buganda kingdom and has its capital in Kampala where you will find major infrastructures, beautiful sites, and tall buildings aka skyscrapers. Most of these tallest buildings house some of the top government offices while the rest are either banks or hotels. Even though tall buildings are not a common view in Africa, unlike Asia, America, Europe, and The UAE, we can’t deny the fact that Africa has quite a number of skyscrapers. However, most of these really tall buildings are located in the major cities, just like in Uganda where we see quite a number of high-rise structures in Kampala. Here is a list of the tallest buildings in Uganda with their corresponding floors and year of completion.

1. The Pearl of Africa Hotel Kampala -24 Floors

Location Address: 28 Nakasero Road, Central Kampala
Alternative Name: N/A
Height (estimated): 90 m
Floors (above ground): 24
Construction Start Date: 2006
Construction end date: 2017
Building function: Hotel

Pearl of Africa Hotel in Kampala is the tallest building in the central Kampala ontop of Nakasero Hill, measuring 1,240 meters (4,070 ft) above sea level. Built within 11 years, the structure stands on a 14 acres (5.7 ha) site which housed the state’s TV station. At 23 storeys and about 90 meters (300 ft) in height, the hotel became the tallest building in Kampala following its completion in 2017. The construction of the five-star hotel allegedly cost about USh1.75 trillion (US$300 million).

2. Uganda Revenue Authority Tower – 22 Floors

Location Address: Nakawa, Kampala, Uganda
Alternative Name: URA Tower
Height (estimated): 79 m
Floors (above ground): 22
Construction Start Date: 2015
Construction end date: 2019
Building function: Government Office

Located in Nakawa, URA Tower soars 79.56 m into the sky. Its construction started in 2015 to save money in rent as it spent a whopping US$3.5 million in 2016 and $ 1.5 million annually from paying for multiple rented offices across the city of Kampala. This meant bringing all URA offices under one roof and reducing the cost of operation (including saving USh15 billion rent annually). The building which was commissioned in 2019 cost about USh140 billion (approx. US$37 million) for its construction.

3.Workers’ House – 20 Floors

Location Address: 1 Pilkington Road, Kampala
Alternative Name: Workers’ House
Height (estimated): 72.33 m
Floors (above ground): 20
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 2001
Building function: Commercial Office

Located along the Pilkington Road, a 20-floor skyscraper, Worker’s House is a place where workers are meant to go and access their benefits. The construction of the house was finished in the year 2001. Currently, the house is used as the headquarters of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

4. Stanbic Bank North Tower, Kampala – 20 Floors

Location Address: Nile Avenue at Hannington Road, Kampala
Alternative Name: Crested Towers I
Height (estimated): 72.33 m
Floors (above ground): 20
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 1970
Building function: Commercial office

In 2005, Stanbic Bank Uganda acquired Uganda Commercial Bank and this acquisition made them relocate from the USB House to the Crested Towers now known as Twin Towers. They further renamed the Twin Towers as Stanbic Bank North Tower and the other, Stanbic Bank South Tower. It is a 20-storey building, completed in the year 1970.

5. Mapeera House, Kampala – 19 Floors

Location Address: Kampala road
Alternative Name: N/A
Height (estimated): 68.71 m
Floors (above ground): 19
Construction Start Date: 2007
Construction end date:2011
Building function: Banking

Mapeera House is a 19-storey high-rise building in Kampala. The construction was completed in the year 2012, which is relatively recent. The Mapeera House accommodates the headquarters of Centenary Bank, which is the largest indigenous commercial bank in Uganda. The building took about US$40 million (UGX:100 billion) in construction costs and consists of 17,000 square metres of office space. It also offers about 16,000 square metres of underground parking spaces that comfortably take about 100 vehicles.

6. Uganda House, Kampala – 16 Floors

Location Address: Kenyatta Avenue, Kampala Road
Alternative Name: UPC House Uganda Peoples Congress
Height (estimated): 60.96 m
Floors (above ground): 16
Construction Start Date: 1969
Construction end date: 1980
Building function: Commercial office

Constructed in 1980 with 16 floors and located at the heart of Uganda, the Ugandan House is the property of the Milton Obote Foundation. The House accommodates The Uganda People’s Congress, one of the key political parties in Uganda.

7. Cham Towers, Kampala – 16 Floors

Location Address: 12 Kampala Road
Alternative Name: Union Commercial Bank UCB House
Height (estimated): 57.87 m
Floors (above ground): 16
Construction Start Date: N?A
Construction end date: 1979
Building function: Commercial office

The Construction of the 16-storey building was completed in 1979. The building was formerly the property of Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB) and was popularly known as The UCB House. The UCB was acquired by Standard Bank Of Africa and then transferred to Stanbic Bank Uganda. They, in turn, relocated to the Twin Towers, abandoning The UCB House. The UCB House with 15,400 square meters of commercial space was later sold and renamed Cham Towers.

8. Janani Luwum Church House – 15 Floors

Location Address: 34 Kampala Road
Alternative Name: Church House
Height (estimated): 54.25 m
Floors (above ground): 15
Construction Start Date: 2011
Construction end date: 2018
Building function: Church

Completed in June 2018, the construction of Janani Luwum which belongs to the Church of Uganda started in 2011. The 15-storey building was budgeted to take about UGX:40.75 billion (US$16.3 million) but overruns and delays hiked the cost slightly. The funding was primarily done by Equity Bank (Uganda), in the form of a mortgage.

9. Kampala Sheraton Hotel, Kampala – 14 Floors

Location Address: Ternan Avenue
Alternative Name: Sheraton Kampala Hotel
Height (estimated): 50.63 m
Floors (above ground): 14
Construction Start Date: 1967
Construction end date: N/A
Building function: Hotel

Kampala Sheraton is a 14-story building completed in 1965. Since then, it has changed its name many times. Initially, when the construction was finished in 1965, it was known as the Apollo Hotel. In the year 1999, a Middle East company leased the hotel from the Ugandan government and managed it for the next 25 years while using the Sheraton name from the establishment.

10. Diamond Trust Building, Kampala – 14 Floors

Location Address: DTB Centre, at 17/19 Kampala Road
Alternative Name: Diamond Trust Building
Height (estimated): 50.63 m
Floors (above ground): 14
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 1970
Building function: Financial Services

The Diamond Trust Building is a 14-storey high-rise building, its construction was completed in 1970. The building is used as the headquarter of the Diamond Trust Bank Uganda.

11. Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala – 14 Floors

Location Address: 7 Kintu Road, Kampala
Alternative Name: Imperial Royale Hotel
Height (estimated): 50.63 m
Floors (above ground): 14
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 2007
Building function: Hotel

Constructed in 2007 with 14 floors, the building is located at Plot 7, Kintu Road, Kampala, Uganda. It is a member of the Imperial Hotels Group.

12. Communications House, Kampala – 14 Floors

Location Address: 1 Colville Street
Alternative Name: Communications House
Height (estimated): 50.63m
Floors (above ground): 14
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: N/A
Building function: Commerical office

Located at Nakasero Kampala, this Ugandan Property belongs to the National Social Security Fund (Uganda).

13. Stanbic Bank South Tower, Kampala – 12 Floors

Location Address: 7 Kintu Road, Kampala
Alternative Name: South Tower/Short Tower
Height (estimated): 50.63m
Floors (above ground): 12
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 1970
Building function: Commerical office

As a result of their 2005 acquisition of Uganda Commercial Bank, Stanbic Bank Uganda relocated from The UCB House to the Twin Tower (crested towers) and renamed it Stanbic Bank South Tower and the other; Stanbic Bank North Tower. The building is also called the Tall Tower and Short Tower. Notice that the aforementioned building is the North tower which contains 20 floors while this has 12 floors. The building is also home to different tenants and is owned by National Housing & Construction Company Limited, the biggest construction company in Uganda also the Government construction Company.

14. NIC Building

Location Address: Plot 3, Pilikington Road
Alternative Name: National Insurance Company of Uganda]
Height (estimated): 50.63m
Floors (above ground): 14
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: N/A
Building function: Commerical office

National Insurance Corporation Limited widely known as National Insurance Corporation (NIC), is a leading insurance company in Uganda. The company’s total assets were valued at UGX:108 billion (approximately US$30 million) in December 2017. Its shareholders’ equity was approximated at UGX:38 billion (approximately US$10.5 million) at the time.

15. Golden Tulip Canaan Kampala

Location Address: 12B Kafu Road
Alternative Name: Golden Tulip
Height (estimated): 43.40m
Floors (above ground): 12
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: N/A
Building function: Hotel

Set in Kampala, Golden Tulip Canaanis a four-star hotel that stands at a height of 43.40, making it the joint 15th tallest building Kampala.

16. Friendship Apartment

Location Address: Kampala
Alternative Name: Friendship apartments
Height (estimated): 43.40 m
Floors (above ground): 12
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 2019
Building function: residential

Set in Kampala, Friendship Apartments stands at a height of 43.40 m with 12 floors (above ground). The building was completed and commissioned in 2019.

17. IPS Building, Kampala – 10 Floors

Location Address: Parliament Avenue
Alternative Name: IPS Building, Kampala
Height (estimated): 41.45 m
Floors (above ground): 10
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 1972
Building function: Office

A high-rise building of about 41.45 meters (136.0 ft) and 10 floors, the construction started in the early 1960s and was completed in 1972. It is the property of Industrial Promotion Services, a subsidiary of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED).

18. Kingdom Kampala Mall

Location Address: Kampala
Alternative Name: Kingdom Kampala Mall
Height (estimated): 39.78 m
Floors (above ground): 11
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 2019
Building function: Office, hotel and shopping center

Kingdom Kampala Shopping Centre is part of the mixed-use Kingdom Kampala development in the heart of Kampala, Uganda. The 14-acre site is located within Kampala. It towers at 40 m and its construction was concluded in 2019.

19. EADB Building

Location Address: 4 Nile Avenue
Alternative Name: East African Development Bank
Height (estimated): 39.78 m
Floors (above ground): 11
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 2013
Building function: Finance

East African Development Bank (EADB) is a development finance institution established to promote development in East Africa. The East African Development Bank (EADB) was created in 1967 under the treaty of the then East African Cooperation. In 1977, after the community was dissolved the Bank was re-established under its own charter in 1980. In December 2017, the institution’s total assets were valued at approximately US$390.411 million.

18. DFCU House, Kampala – 10 Floors

Location Address: 26 Kyaddondo Road
Alternative Name: Development Finance Company of Uganda
Height (estimated): 36.17 m
Floors (above ground): 10
Construction Start Date: 2011
Construction end date: 2013
Building function: Residential

The DFCU House is located at 26 Kyaddondo Road, just at the corner of Kafu Road. The construction of the building started in September 2011 and was completed by December 2013, with 10 floors altogether. Both the headquarters of The DFCU Group and the main branch of The DFCU Bank are all housed inside this building.

19. Course View Towers, Kampala – 10 Floors

Location Address: Kampala
Alternative Name: Course View Towers
Height (estimated): 36.17 m
Floors (above ground): 10
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 2007
Building function: Hotel

About $20 million was spent in constructing this tower. With 10 floors and enough space underground to accommodate lots of parked vehicles, the construction of this tower was completed in 2007.

20. Amamu House, Kampala – 10 Floors

Location Address: George Street
Alternative Name: Georgian House
Height (estimated): 36.17 m
Floors (above ground): 10
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 2001
Building function: Commercial Office

Located at George Street, Kampala, Uganda. Amamu House has 10 floors and is made up of mostly office spaces for rent. The construction was completed in 2001.

21. TWED Towers, Kampala – 9 Floors

Location Address: 10 Kafu Road
Alternative Name: TWED Towers, Kampala
Height (estimated): 32.55 m
Floors (above ground): 9
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 2011
Building function: Commercial Office

TWED Towers is located on plot 10 Kafu Road, Nakasero, Kampala City centre. With 18,000 square meters of built-up space and 9 floors, it was completed in 2011.

22. Rwenzori Towers, Kampala – 10 Floors

Location Address: Nakasero Road
Alternative Name: Rwenzori Towers, Kampala
Height (estimated): 21.70 m
Floors (above ground): 6
Construction Start Date: N/A
Construction end date: 2011
Building function: Commercial Office

Located at Nakasero Road, Kampala, The Rwenzori Towers is made up of 6 floors and the construction was completed in 2011.

Some of the high-rise and future tallest buildings under construction in Kampala are:

Kampala Intercontinental Hotel – 34 Floors

Movement House – 27 Floors

Pension Towers – 25 Floors

Kampala Hilton Hotel – 24 Floors

Naguru Tower Kampala 14 Floors ≈51m

Sources: Emporium, Wikipedia