Warehouses for Rent or Sale in Kampala
Updated 3 November 2026 · Land & Property editorial team
Warehouse rent in Kampala runs from about USD 3.00 to 7.00 per square metre a month in the first half of 2026, says Knight Frank. The Traditional Industrial Area is USD 4.5-7.0, Ntinda-Nakawa USD 4.5-6.5 and Namanve the cheapest at USD 3.0-5.5. Prime warehouse yield is reported at about 13%, which is rent income only, not a guaranteed return.
- Traditional Industrial Area rent
- USD 4.5 to 7.0 per sqm a month, H1 2026 (source 1)
- Ntinda-Nakawa rent
- USD 4.5 to 6.5 per sqm a month, H1 2026 (source 1)
- Namanve (KIBP) rent
- USD 3.0 to 5.5 per sqm a month, H1 2026 (source 1)
- Prime warehouse yield, Kampala
- About 13%, H1 2026 (source 2)
- Occupancy across key zones
- Above 80% (source 1)
How much is warehouse rent in Kampala?
Knight Frank, a property consultancy, tracks warehouse rents in four Kampala zones. Its H1 2026 review puts the market-wide range at USD 3.00 to 7.00 per square metre per month, with a growing premium for modern buildings. The table below shows the four zones.
| Zone | Rent per sqm per month (USD), H1 2026 | What Knight Frank says |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Industrial Area | 4.5 to 7.0 | Most expensive, close to the city centre, but roads are deteriorating and some firms are leaving for better-serviced parks |
| Ntinda-Nakawa corridor | 4.5 to 6.5 | Rents held, road connections draw logistics firms and light manufacturers |
| Nalukolongo | 4.5 to 6.0 | Mid-range |
| Kampala Industrial and Business Park, Namanve | 3.0 to 5.5 | Cheapest of the four and the clearest gainer, as park infrastructure passed 80% completion |
Source: Knight Frank Uganda, Kampala Property Market Performance Review, H1 2026 (source 1). A worked example: 1,000 sqm at USD 5 per sqm is USD 5,000 a month, or USD 60,000 a year, before service charge and tax. Rents differ a lot between a modern building and an old shed in the same zone, so use the range as a guide, not a quote.
Where are warehouses cheapest?
Namanve is the cheapest zone in the Knight Frank table, at USD 3.0 to 5.5. The report says its improved access has lifted occupancy and drawn cost-sensitive manufacturers, including some moving from the Traditional Industrial Area, and has pushed modern buildings inside the park to the top of its rent band. So the cheapest rent in Namanve is for older or basic space, and the best new space there costs more.
Before you take or buy space in Namanve, read how land in the park is held. Plots there are leased by the state investment agency, and the agency has warned about fake titles (source 4). Our page on industrial park land in Uganda sets out the warnings, and Commercial Land Near Kampala for Development covers buying land to build your own store.
What yield do Kampala warehouses earn?
Business Daily, reporting Knight Frank's industrial tracker, gave Kampala's average prime warehouse yield for H1 2026 as 13%, against 10% for Dar es Salaam and 9.5% for Nairobi. The same article quotes rents of USD 7, USD 5 and USD 6 per square metre for the three cities (source 2). It dates the figures to the first half of 2026 in one place and the first half of 2025 in another, and says they are unchanged from a year earlier, so treat them as indicative.
A yield here is annual rent as a share of the building's value. Using the example above, USD 60,000 of yearly rent at a 13% yield implies a value of about USD 461,500 (60,000 divided by 0.13). That is arithmetic, not a price we have seen. The figure is for prime space, ignores vacancy, repairs, service charge and tax, and is not a promise of what a building you buy will earn. For other property types, compare our commercial property hub.
What do warehouse tenants look for?
Knight Frank's H1 2026 review says occupiers increasingly prioritise quality specifications and operational efficiency, so older, secondary warehouses face softer rents while premium assets hold their pricing. It says enquiries were weighted towards smaller units of 300 to 500 sqm, from FMCG distributors, logistics operators, car dealers seeking showrooms and import and export traders, notably coffee exporters and light assembly firms. Heavy manufacturers tend to skip leasing and buy land to build to their own specification.
From that, a sensible checklist for a tenant or buyer is:
- Road access. Can a container truck reach and turn? Knight Frank flags road condition as a reason firms leave the Traditional Industrial Area.
- Size. Space of 300 to 500 sqm is where demand is, which helps resale or re-letting.
- Services. Ask about power supply, water, drainage and security, which the Namanve upgrade is addressing.
- Lease and tenants. If you are buying, ask for the leases, rent roll and vacancy history.
The specification list is our checklist, not a Knight Frank standard.
Can you buy a warehouse, and what do we list?
You can buy industrial property, but we have no verified published sale prices for warehouses in Kampala, so we do not quote one. Land & Property had no live listings in the commercial category on 3 November 2026 (Land & Property listings, Nov 2026). If you want to build, see Land for Hotels and Resorts in Uganda for a different use of commercial land, or Shops and Commercial Buildings for Sale in Kampala for ready-built property. If you only want to rent, read shops for rent Kampala and office space Kampala, and look at rent in Kampala for homes.
You can browse commercial listings as agents add them, or ask our team on WhatsApp or by email what we are sourcing.
Frequently asked questions
How much is warehouse rent in Kampala?
Knight Frank reported USD 3.00 to 7.00 per square metre per month across Kampala for H1 2026. By zone: Traditional Industrial Area USD 4.5 to 7.0, Ntinda-Nakawa 4.5 to 6.5, Nalukolongo 4.5 to 6.0 and Namanve 3.0 to 5.5. Modern buildings sit at the top of each band.
Where are warehouses cheapest?
Namanve, the Kampala Industrial and Business Park, is the cheapest zone at USD 3.0 to 5.5 per sqm a month in H1 2026 per Knight Frank. Basic space is cheaper than new buildings there, and you must check how the plot is held before you sign.
What is the yield on a warehouse in Kampala?
Business Daily, citing Knight Frank, reported an average prime warehouse yield of 13% for Kampala in H1 2026, against 10% for Dar es Salaam and 9.5% for Nairobi. That is gross rent over value, before costs, and it is not guaranteed.
What size of warehouse is most in demand?
Knight Frank said enquiries in H1 2026 leaned towards units of 300 to 500 sqm, rather than the larger footprints sought earlier. Buyers of such space were mostly distributors, logistics firms, car dealers and import and export traders.
Sources
- Kampala Property Market Performance Review, H1 2026, Knight Frank Uganda (accessed 2026-11)
- Kampala, Dar extend dominance over Nairobi in warehouse rent yield, Business Daily (reporting Knight Frank industrial data) (accessed 2026-11)
- Land & Property listings, Nov 2026 (93 published listings, none in the commercial category), Land & Property (accessed 2026-11)
- UIA warns of illegal land titles at Namanve industrial park, Eagle Online (2 March 2020) (accessed 2026-11)