Mansour Matovu

Last updated
Mansour Matovu
Born
Mansour Matovu

Masaka District, Uganda
NationalityUgandan
Other namesYanga
Occupation(s)Businessman, Real estate investor
Years active1980s–present
Known forMajor real estate developments in Kampala
Notable workMM Plaza, Nanganda Plaza, Zai Plaza, Soweto Plaza

Mansour Matovu, commonly known as Yanga, is a Ugandan businessman and real estate investor that owns and has developed various commercial buildings in the Central Business District of Kampala (CBD). [1] [2] [3] According to Watchdog Uganda, he was listed as one of the top 10 Uganda's Billionaires in 2025 with a net worth of $785 million. [4] Matovu was born in Masaka District where he attended school up to Senior Two (S.2) before dropping out to engage in small scale trading and vehicle repairs which he began at Kayondo Garage, Ndeeba, a Kampala suburb in the 1980s. [5]

Contents

Business career

He began his business career in the 1980s dealing in automobile repair, spare parts, and importation of second-hand motorcycles from Japan. [1] In the 1990s, he shifted to real estate, purchasing land in downtown Kampala and constructing new commercial buildings to replace older structures. [1]

By the early 2000s, Matovu was recognized as one of Kampala’s most prominent landlords. Mulengera News lists him among key figures who shaped the city’s modern property market through the development of shopping arcades and plazas. [6]

Properties and holdings

Matovu’s real estate portfolio includes several buildings across Kampala’s Central Business District, notably MM Plaza, Nanaganda Plaza, Zai Plaza, and Soweto Plaza. [6] These properties are located along Wilson Road, Nakasero, and Kampala Road, areas considered to be prime commercial zones in Uganda’s capital. [6]

Controversies

In March 2019, Matovu was reported to locked up 17 commercial buildings, affecting approximately 7,000 tenants, citing rental disputes and planned renovations. [7] He has also been associated with ownership disagreements related to Qualicel Bus Terminal and other properties in central Kampala. [7] [8] Matovu was involved in a legal battle with the late businessman Charles Muhangi and Drake Lubega over the ownership of Qualicel Bus Terminal and Nabukeera Plaza. [9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "How Young mined fortune in greasy Ndeeba". Daily Monitor. March 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  2. "Owner of 17 city buildings keeps tenants guessing". Monitor. 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  3. "Here Are the People Who Own Kampala As of August 2025". mulengeranews.com. 2025-08-15. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  4. Kazooba, Lawrence (2025-04-11). "Uganda's Billionaires 2025: Once Again Sudhir Ruparelia Leads a Resilient Pack". Watchdog Uganda. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  5. "How Young mined fortune in greasy Ndeeba". Monitor. 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  6. 1 2 3 "Here are the people who own Kampala as of August 2025". Mulengera News. August 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Owner of 17 city buildings keeps tenants guessing". Daily Monitor. March 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  8. ELIZABETH, NAMAJJA | PML Daily Staff (2019-04-04). "City traders get govt intervention". PML Daily. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  9. "Lubega, Matovu regain Qualicel bus terminal". New Vision. Retrieved 2025-10-09.