Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga has advised young people to avoid rushing into building expensive homes before securing strong financial foundations, arguing that early house construction can limit money needed for business growth and investments.
Mayiga shared the advice while addressing the pressure some young people face to own residential property as a sign of success. He encouraged them to first focus on creating sustainable sources of income before committing large amounts of money to building homes.
“Early house construction drains resources needed for growing business. Take your time, grow your investments, an own house will follow as a matter of course,” Mayiga said.
The Buganda Kingdom official also cautioned young men against making major financial decisions because of pressure from romantic partners or social expectations.
“Don’t let your partner intimidate you into building/buying a house… it’s a wrong choice for long term financial stability,” he added.
Mayiga’s comments continue his previous discussions about financial priorities among young Ugandans, including debates around expectations placed on men to quickly acquire property.
He has previously questioned why young people would commit hundreds of millions of shillings into residential construction when that money could potentially be used to expand businesses or create other income-generating opportunities.
“Why invest over Sh500m in building a house, money you should have used to trade goods in China?” he was quoted as saying.
The Katikkiro explained that owning a home can eventually become an important asset, including potentially serving as collateral when seeking financial support from banks. However, he emphasized that building wealth-producing investments should come before major personal expenses.
Mayiga’s message centers on patience and long-term planning, encouraging young people not to measure success only by owning a house at an early stage of life.
His advice comes amid ongoing conversations in Uganda about wealth creation, financial independence and the pressure young adults face to meet certain social expectations.
For Mayiga, the goal is not to discourage home ownership but to encourage young people to build the financial strength that makes future investments and family goals more sustainable.