A low-cost, eco-friendly flooring alternative is transforming housing in Uganda by reducing construction expenses, improving health, and lowering carbon emissions. Developed by Earth Enable, a social enterprise launched in 2017, the clay-based earthen floors are now installed in over 10,000 households, beginning in Jinja District and expanding nationwide. The flooring system replaces traditional cement and mud floors with a mix of murram (a locally sourced gravelly red soil), sand, and water, compacted and sealed with a clay-varnish finish. Unlike costly cement floors, the earthen option is more affordable and locally sourced, dramatically reducing material and labor costs.
“For cement, clients need to buy cement, gravel, and sand—all expensive. For us, we only use murram. It’s affordable and accessible,” said Alex Wanda, Earth Enable’s construction officer in Jinja. The floors are also more hygienic, eliminating dust, mosquitoes, jiggers, and bedbugs, which commonly thrive in traditional mud floors. “We’re tackling diseases like flu and malaria linked to dusty, pest-infested homes,” said Noeline Mutesi, the company’s marketing manager. Local leader Simon Tigawalana, one of the first beneficiaries, said the flooring dramatically improved life for him and his 16 children. “There’s no dust now, and rats that once dug holes and disturbed us are gone,” he noted.
Uganda faces a severe housing crisis, with a 2.6 million unit deficit expected to reach 3 million by 2030, according to official data. High costs for cement, bricks, and labor have made durable housing inaccessible to most. Nearly 42% of Ugandans live in extreme poverty. To ease affordability, Earth Enable offers flexible payment plans, allowing clients to pay in installments without a fixed amount. “Clients pay what they can, when they can,” Mutesi explained. In addition to improving living standards, the initiative addresses climate concerns.
According to the UN Environment Programme, the construction industry is the largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for 37% of total output. By replacing cement—which has a massive carbon footprint—with natural materials, Earth Enable is helping Uganda cut emissions while improving housing access. With plans to scale nationwide, the earthen flooring model could become a blueprint for sustainable, affordable housing across sub-Saharan Africa.
