URA House explained

URA House
Start Date:4 February 2015
Completion Date:19 January 2019
Building Type:Office
Location:Nakawa, Kampala, Uganda
Pushpin Map:Uganda Kampala
Coordinates:0.3303°N 32.6194°W
Floor Count:22[1]
Floor Area:26021m2
Cost:US$37 million

URA House, also URA Tower, is a building in Uganda's capital Kampala, that serves as the headquarters of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).[2]

Location

The building is located in Nakawa, a Kampala neighborhood that is approximately 6km (04miles), by road, east of the city center. The coordinates of URA House are 0°19'49.0"N, 32°37'10.0"E (Latitude:0.330278; Longitude:32.619444).

Overview

Prior to 2015, the offices of URA were scattered in multiple rented locations across the city of Kampala.[3] As of August 2016, URA spent US$3.5 million in rent and US$1.5 million in operational expenses annually.[3]

In February 2015,[4] the agency began construction of a 22-storey skyscraper to consolidate all the agency offices in the city under one roof and save money in rent and operational expenses. Completion was scheduled for 2018. URA plans to use the savings to improve its upcountry offices.[3]

As of July 2018, the building was nearly complete, with commissioning expected during the second half of 2018. The tarmac road, Walusimbi Lane, from Nakawa to the new building, has been completed at a cost of USh2.57 billion (approx. US$680,000), funded by the Ugandan government.[5] The URA House itself was budgeted at USh140 billion (approx. US$37 million), in construction costs.[5]

On 19 January 2019, the president of Uganda Yoweri Museveni, officially commissioned the completed skyscraper.[6]

Properties

The building rises 22 floors above ground, with usable space of 26021m2. Maximum occupancy is calculated at 1,700 people. There is provision for underground parking for 360 cars, and surface parking for 710 vehicles. The parking structure measures 12923m2, on five levels for parking and the sixth level designed with space for a breastfeeding centre for staff.[7]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 4 October 2016 . High-end office space in high demand in Uganda . 24 September 2016 . Nairobi . Bernard . Busuulwa . The EastAfrican.
  2. Web site: 4 October 2016 . . 10 September 2015 . URA want a cash bonus . Kampala . Ismail Musa Ladu.
  3. Web site: 9 August 2016 . New Headquarters to Save URA UShs15 Billion In Rent, Operations . 4 October 2016 . Chimpreports.com . Paul . Ampurire . Kampala.
  4. Web site: 19 January 2019 . Museveni set to launch new URA tower, Uganda’s tallest . 20 January 2019 . . The Independent . Kampala.
  5. Web site: URA's Shs140 Billion House Near Completion . 26 August 2018 . 8 February 2018 . Julius . Businge . . Kampala.
  6. Web site: Museveni Commissions Shs139 Billion URA Tower, Talks Tough On Bureaucracy . Softpower Uganda . 20 January 2019 . 20 January 2019 . Paul Ampurire . Kampala.
  7. Web site: 9 July 2018 . New URA tower will be one-stop-centre . Archived from the Original. . The Independent . 14 May 2018 . Kampala.