My Story

Hajji Yasin Bakaluba in a black suite

Hajji Yasin Bakaluba was born and raised in Bukoto-Ntinda by Sheikh Muhammad Sekimwanyi and Hajat Mariam Nakku. He started his education at a local kindergarten located in a garage along Kampala’s northern bypass. He later attended Bugembe Islamic Institute in Jinja, but after two years, he transferred to Bilal Islamic School in Bwaise.

I used to walk from Bukoto to Bwaise for school. I remember waking up at 5 a.m., leaving home without breakfast, and for lunch, we would go to Kalerwe to eat sugarcane left over from delivery trucks. I hated school because of such hardships.

He then spent a year at Bukoto Muslim Elementary School without his father’s approval. Upon discovering this, his father was furious and quickly enrolled him at Froebel Primary School, where he completed his primary education. He continued his secondary education at Kibuli Secondary School.

At 17, his father kicked him out of the house, marking the end of his formal education. He moved in with his mother, who owned a store in Kyaliwajjala, a suburb of Kampala. He stayed with her for about three years, trying to find a way to go to London.

At 19, with financial help from his elder brother, who was already in the United Kingdom, Bakaluba was able to buy a plane ticket to London. He started working as a parking attendant. In the UK, Bakaluba disliked walking on the cold streets of the city. After three weeks, he applied for and got a job as a security guard, a role he held for 19 years. He lived in affordable public housing that was suitable for low-income workers. During his time in the UK, he was inspired by stories of Ugandans who had started from humble beginnings and succeeded greatly in life. This motivation fueled him, even though the money he earned as a security guard wasn’t enough to make significant real estate investments back home.

While working as a security guard, I had plenty of time to read inspirational stories. I saw people who went from rags to riches, and I was constantly enriching my mind with positive ideas.

Since his father was a landlord, Bakaluba understood the value of investing in property and the financial freedom his father enjoyed from it. He explains that for many people abroad, the high taxes and high cost of living often make it difficult to save enough to invest. He has witnessed many people with good jobs and loans fall into financial traps, leading to severe consequences. Despite this, Bakaluba believes that anyone with a steady income and the right mindset can own land and build a home.

Faced with the high cost of living and taxes in the UK, Bakaluba decided to start investing in Uganda. He saved 6 million UGX over two years and bought his first property in Kulambiro in 2003. In 2004, he completed rental units within 18 months, generating 100,000 UGX each month. His rental income from Kulambiro quickly grew to 7.2 million UGX, which he used to purchase land in Kisaasi, where he built 8 rental units that brought in 800,000 UGX monthly. By the time he left the UK, Bakaluba owned properties in Uganda that provided him with steady monthly income.

In first-world countries, the system makes it easy to get what you want through credit. Many foreigners fall into this trap, buying unnecessary things like cars and phones. I didn’t fall for it because I had a clear plan with a set timeframe. This discipline helped me save money

Hajji Yasin Bakaluba as a security guard

When Bakaluba returned to Uganda in 2021, he became a commercial property developer. He built a mall, 10 additional apartments, and founded Bakaluba Property Services, with offices in Ntinda, to manage and build properties. His reputation grew, and soon, people from the diaspora approached him to build homes for them. This is how his business took off. Since then, he has helped Ugandans in the diaspora avoid fraudulent property management and construction companies.

Many Ugandans abroad have been exploited by their relatives when it comes to investing back home, but I am changing that. Over the last two years, I’ve built hundreds of houses for people

He advises people to keep buying and holding onto property, with the idea that over time, they can sell one piece and develop another. Bakaluba also hopes the Ugandan government will strengthen oversight of institutions like the land registry to reduce fraud and simplify the process of acquiring land titles. He also encourages local councils to be more efficient in approving construction plans, as these issues hinder the real estate business in Uganda.

In 2021, he participated as a panelist at the 11th UK-Ugandan Trade and Investment Convention, where he shared the stage with notable figures in the real estate sector, such as Rajiv Ruparelia from Ruparelia Group, Judy Rugasira Kyanda from Knight Frank, Clive Keffold from Jakana Heights, and Michael K. Mugabi from Housing Finance Bank. Since then, Bakaluba has been a prominent figure in various conferences and events on real estate investment in Uganda.