URA House

URA House, also URA Tower, is a building in Uganda, that serves as the headquarters of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).[4]

URA House
Location within Kampala
General information
TypeOffice
LocationNakawa, Kampala, Uganda
Coordinates00°19′49″N 32°37′10″E
Construction started4 February 2015[1]
Completed19 January 2019[2]
Technical details
Floor count22[3]
Floor area26,021 square metres (280,088 sq ft)

Location

The building is located in Nakawa, a neighborhood within the city of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi), by road, east of the city center.[5] The coordinates of URA House are 0°19'49.0"N, 32°37'10.0"E (Latitude:0.330278; Longitude:32.619444).[6]

Overview

Prior to 2015, the offices of URA were scattered in multiple rented locations across the city of Kampala.[7] As of August 2016, URA spent US$3.5 million in rent and US$1.5 million in operational expenses annually.[7]

In February 2015,[1] 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.[7]

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.[8] The URA House itself was budgeted at USh140 billion (approx. US$37 million), in construction costs.[8]

On 19 January 2019, the president of Uganda Yoweri Museveni, officially commissioned the completed skyscraper.[2]

Properties

The building rises 22 floors above ground, with usable space of 26,021 square metres (280,088 sq ft). 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 12,923 square metres (139,102 sq ft), on five levels for parking and the sixth level designed with space for a breastfeeding centre for staff.[9]

See also

References
  1. The Independent (19 January 2019). "Museveni set to launch new URA tower, Uganda's tallest". The Independent (Uganda). Kampala. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  2. Paul Ampurire (20 January 2019). "Museveni Commissions Shs139 Billion URA Tower, Talks Tough On Bureaucracy". Kampala: Softpower Uganda. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  3. Busuulwa, Bernard (24 September 2016). "High-end office space in high demand in Uganda". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  4. Ismail Musa Ladu (10 September 2015). "URA want a cash bonus". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  5. Globefeed.com (4 October 2016). "Distance between Uganda Post Office, Kampala Road, Kampala, Bugandal Region, Uganda and Uganda Revenue Authority, Kampala, Buganda Region, Uganda". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  6. Google (4 October 2016). "Location of Uganda Revenue Authority House, Kampala" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  7. Ampurire, Paul (9 August 2016). "New Headquarters to Save URA UShs15 Billion In Rent, Operations". Kampala: Chimpreports.com. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  8. Businge, Julius (8 February 2018). "URA's Shs140 Billion House Near Completion". The Independent (Uganda). Kampala. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  9. The Independent (14 May 2018). "New URA tower will be one-stop-centre" (Archived from the Original). The Independent (Uganda). Kampala. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
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