Ntungamo District Steps Up Sensitisation on 6% Property Tax

What the report says

Ntungamo District in southwestern Uganda is expanding public sensitisation efforts around a six-percent tax on commercial rental income after some property owners resisted the measure, according to Nile Post. District officials said the main problem is limited public understanding of how the levy is assessed, collected and applied to commercial buildings in designated centres.

The district council approved the tax in the previous financial year, and authorities say implementation has already begun. Saidat Tushabe Muhereza, who chairs the district council committee on finance and related matters, said many residents are still unfamiliar with the system and need clearer guidance on when the tax is due and how it is calculated. Under the policy, property owners are expected to pay six percent of their annual rental income from qualifying commercial properties.

Nile Post reported mixed reactions across the district. Communities in Kitwe have reportedly refused to pay, while property owners in Ntungamo Municipality have been more willing to comply. District leaders say the variation reflects differences in awareness rather than a change in the law.

To improve acceptance, the local government is working through parish chiefs, sub-county chiefs and other stakeholders to explain the policy. The tax is part of Ntungamo’s broader effort to raise local revenue and strengthen funding for service delivery, making its rollout important for the district’s finances and for public confidence in local taxation.