Meet A Ugandan Engineer Behind Times Tower Building

While thousands of commuters and residents pass Times Tower and Social Security House daily, few are aware that a Ugandan civil engineer, James Mugoya Isabirye, founded the enterprise responsible for erecting these iconic structures.

​Mugoya relocated to Kenya to study Civil Engineering at the University of Nairobi, graduating in October 1971. He subsequently established Mugoya Construction & Engineering Limited, which grew into one of the country’s dominant construction firms during the administration of former President Daniel arap Moi.

​Among his firm’s most notable achievements was the construction of Times Tower. Awarded the contract in 1992 and completed in 2000, Mugoya’s company built the 38-floor skyscraper housing the Kenya Revenue Authority, which was designed by Triad Architects.

Additionally, his firm erected Social Security House on Bishop Road in Nairobi, designed by J.E.D. Nyaseme & Associates, alongside other high-profile developments including Hazina Estate, Moi High School Kabarak, Kabarak University, and the Kisumu Provincial Headquarters.

​Despite his commercial success, Mugoya’s firm attracted intense public debate over state procurement practices.

In 2000, Mathira MP Matu Wamae questioned in Parliament why major government contracts consistently went to Mugoya Construction.

The company also encountered legal battles, notably over a stalled 1995 NSSF project for 265 residential houses in Karen, which was delayed by planning approvals before resulting in a Ksh 342 million out-of-court settlement in 2012.

Facing debt petitions, the High Court ordered the liquidation of Mugoya Construction in September 2015, marking an end to the firm that shaped much of Nairobi’s modern skyline.

https://www.tuko.co.ke/business-economy/industry/644333-james-mugoya-isabirye-ugandan-tycoon-times-tower-nssf-building/

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