Can Agricultural Waste Help Uganda Build More Affordable Homes? Meet the
Innovator Behind CoolBricks
Kampala, Uganda – What if the answer to more affordable housing in Uganda lies partly
in the soil beneath our feet and the agricultural waste we often overlook? For Kaneene
Leslie, this possibility has become the focus of an innovation that challenges conventional
approaches to building and asks an important question: can Uganda use more of its own
resources to make decent housing accessible to more families?
Leslie, a Quantity Surveying graduate from Makerere University Kampala, is developing
CoolBricks, a construction innovation that uses locally available soils and agricultural
waste to produce bio-stabilised earth bricks. By eliminating conventional cement as a
stabilising ingredient and avoiding energy-intensive firing, the technology seeks to offer a
more affordable, lower-carbon alternative to conventional building materials.
His work is driven by a challenge that extends beyond construction. For many Ugandan
households, the aspiration to own a home is constrained by the cost of building. Finding
ways to reduce that cost without compromising structural performance, durability or
comfort remains an important part of expanding access to decent housing.
For Leslie, developing an alternative brick is only the beginning. The bigger question is
whether the technology can work beyond the research environment, compete on cost and
gain the confidence of builders and prospective homeowners.
That is where the Housing Finance Bank Zimba Challenge comes in. Having developed
and refined CoolBricks through academic research and early pilot projects, Leslie sees the
challenge as an opportunity to test the innovation against the practical demands of housing
delivery, including affordability, adoption and the ability to scale.
The project targets reductions of up to 50 per cent in construction costs and up to 90 per
cent in carbon emissions. These are ambitious targets whose significance will depend on
how the technology performs in practical applications and how the results compare with
conventional construction methods.
Achieving them requires a careful balance. A building material may be inexpensive to
produce, but that advantage means little if it cannot deliver the strength and durability
required for safe, permanent homes. Leslie’s work has therefore involved testing different
soil compositions and biopolymer formulations, supported by collaboration involving
Makerere University and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
The experience has reinforced his belief that innovation must be judged by what it can
deliver in practice, not simply by the promise of an idea.
November 4, 2026Housing Finance Bank is taking banking and housing finance solutions closer to communities
through direct engagement with residents and businesses, giving more Ugandans an
opportunity to understand and explore financing options for homeownership, property
investment and business growth.
Through its HFB in Your Neighbourhood initiative, the bank recently engaged more than 100
residents and business owners in Kira Municipality, including those from Kira, Nsasa, Mulawa
and Bulindo. The engagement provided an opportunity for participants to learn about
available banking services and housing finance solutions without having to visit the bank’s
head office or branches.
Lilian Nabisere, a Relationship Manager for Home Loans in the bank’s Mortgage and
Consumer Banking department, said the initiative was designed to bridge the gap between
the bank and communities that may not be fully aware of the financing solutions available to
them.
“Our mandate is to finance a sustainable future for all, and we want to ensure that the people
we serve understand why we exist and how we can support their financial goals. Through
HFB in Your Neighbourhood, we are stepping out of our offices to engage directly with
residents, understand their needs and bring relevant financing solutions closer to them,”
Nabisere said.
She explained that the engagement in Kira reflected the needs and opportunities found in
many growing communities across Uganda, where individuals are seeking to own homes,
invest in rental properties and expand businesses. Some property owners may also be able
to use the equity in existing assets to finance other investments, subject to the bank’s
assessment and lending requirements.
“We see people who want to own homes, those who want to build rental properties and
business owners who need financing to grow. Some already own property and could use the
equity in those assets to pursue other investments. Our role is to make them aware of the
options available and help them explore financing that suits their needs,” she said.
“As someone who runs a small hardware shop here in Mulawa, my income fluctuates
month to month,” shared David Mukasa, a local resident who attended the engagement.
“Learning about Zimba Mpola Mpola was a turning point for me. Knowing I can buy
land and build my family’s house stage-by-stage without putting overwhelming strain
on my daily business cash flow makes owning a home feel achievable.”
Public
Among the solutions presented was Zimba Mpola Mpola, Housing Finance Bank’s
incremental housing loan designed to support customers who wish to build their homes in
stages according to their financial capacity. The product caters to different income earners,
including those with irregular incomes, and can support customers from land acquisition
through construction.
Richard Bob Sema, the Manager of Incremental Housing Loans, said the product recognises
that homeownership is not always achieved at once, providing customers with an opportunity
to work towards completing their homes in manageable stages.
The bank also offers traditional mortgage financing for customers seeking to purchase ready
homes or finance residential and commercial construction. Eligible customers can access
home purchase financing of up to 80 per cent of the property value, subject to the bank’s
assessment and applicable lending requirements.
Other financing options include loans for acquiring residential, commercial and agricultural
land, as well as equity release facilities that allow eligible property owners to explore
financing against existing property for other investments.
“I’ve always wanted to open a formal bank account for my business in Nsasa, but the
thought of long lines and paperwork at a branch kept pushing it down my to-do list,”
said Sarah Namubiru, a local boutique owner. “When the team showed us how to start the
process right on our phones using the USSD code, I was able to get started on the
spot. It really brings convenience right to our doorstep.”
Beyond housing finance, residents were introduced to the bank’s Kiri Too Easy service,
which simplifies account opening. Customers can initiate the process by dialling 22511# on
their mobile phones and following the prompts, reducing the need to visit a banking hall to get
started.
The bank plans to extend HFB in Your Neighbourhood to other communities, continuing its
efforts to engage directly with Ugandans, understand their financial needs and increase
awareness of available banking and housing finance solutions.
Through these engagements, Housing Finance Bank seeks to make financing information
more accessible and enable more people to explore practical pathways towards
homeownership, property investment and business growth.
Residents and business owners can engage with Housing Finance Bank to learn more about
the available solutions and identify options that align with their financial goals.
