KAMPALA — The iconic RR Pearl Tower has featured on the cover of the latest edition of The Contractor Uganda, a publication by the Uganda National Association of Builders, Suppliers and Engineering Contractors (UNABSEC), as the industry body renews its call for reforms aimed at strengthening Uganda’s construction sector.
The June 2026 edition, published under the theme “Advocating for a Sustainable and Inclusive Construction Sector in Uganda,” examines some of the policy and regulatory changes shaping the industry, with particular focus on the participation of local contractors in major infrastructure projects.
The publication highlights UNABSEC’s engagements with government agencies, regulators, financial institutions and development partners on challenges affecting indigenous contractors, including access to affordable financing, procurement opportunities, delayed payments and the cost of securing bank guarantees.
One of the key issues explored is the government’s rationalisation of the former Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) into the Ministry of Works and Transport.
The magazine examines the implications of the transition for road project implementation, procurement, supervision and service delivery, as well as its potential impact on contractors operating in the roads sector.
The publication also highlights President Yoweri Museveni’s directive on bank guarantees, which local contractors have welcomed as an important intervention in addressing financial barriers that have traditionally limited their ability to compete for large public contracts.
For years, indigenous contractors have argued that expensive performance guarantees, limited access to affordable credit and delayed payments by government agencies have constrained the growth of local firms and left them at a disadvantage when competing with international companies.
UNABSEC has consequently pushed for financial and procurement reforms that would enable Ugandan firms to participate more meaningfully in major infrastructure projects.
The association’s advocacy for stronger local content requirements also features prominently in the publication, with emphasis on ensuring that public infrastructure spending translates into opportunities for Ugandan contractors, suppliers, engineers and other players along the construction value chain.
The association argues that sustainable development of the sector requires more than awarding contracts to local companies. It also requires investment in technical capacity, technology transfer, skills development and access to financing.
The magazine further highlights the need for contractors to uphold professional standards, ethical practices and compliance with construction and engineering regulations, noting that quality infrastructure depends on both effective government oversight and responsible industry practices.
UNABSEC has increasingly positioned itself as a link between government and private-sector players in the construction industry, participating in discussions on procurement, contractor payments, access to finance, occupational safety and local participation in strategic infrastructure projects.
The choice of RR Pearl Tower for the magazine’s cover provides a visual representation of the transformation taking place in Uganda’s construction and real estate sectors.
The mixed-use development has become a prominent feature of Kampala’s skyline and reflects the growing role of private investment in modern commercial and urban infrastructure.
Beyond its cover appearance, the publication uses the development as a symbol of the type of modern construction and private-sector investment that industry stakeholders say Uganda must continue to encourage.
The construction sector remains central to the country’s development ambitions as government implements infrastructure programmes under the National Development Plan IV and works towards the broader objectives of Vision 2040.
UNABSEC says sustained collaboration among government, contractors, financiers, regulators and development partners will be critical to creating an industry capable of delivering quality infrastructure while generating employment and expanding opportunities for Ugandan businesses.
Through The Contractor Uganda, the association seeks to provide industry players with information on policy developments, emerging opportunities, technological innovations and professional standards while creating a platform for discussion on the future direction of the construction industry.
The latest edition therefore comes at a time when questions around local participation, financing and procurement remain central to the debate over how Uganda can build a stronger and more competitive indigenous construction industry.