KAMPALA, Uganda — Minutes after dusk, the new KTL Mall in Kisaasi snaps to life like a stage set. A ribbon of cool-white LEDs traces every cornice, warm sconces paint the terracotta columns in bronze, and interior down-lights spill through floor-to-ceiling glass. The three-story building, finished in November 2024, now anchors evening commerce in this fast-growing suburb north of downtown Kampala.

The glow is the work of MKM Engineering & Consultancy Company LTD, a Kampala firm that handled the mall’s electrical design diagrams, conduit piping, full circuit wiring and exterior security lighting. The company also created a custom mood-lighting scheme for Mezar & Salt, an upscale restaurant that leased an end unit while the structure was still in gray concrete.

“We wanted shoppers to feel welcome and traders to feel secure,” Director of Operations Kabuye Matthew said as he pointed to a control panel that tallies live energy use. “When light is stable, business stays open and money keeps moving.”

Backbone built from scratch

Because the building was brand new, MKM started with blank paper instead of retrofitting an older grid. Engineers mapped load centers, plotted emergency egress lights and designed a backbone of copper busbars tucked inside fire-rated shafts. Dual underground feeders enter opposite corners of the site; if one line trips, automatic relays swing the full load to the second within milliseconds. A 500-kVA generator idles behind a sound wall, ready to pick up the mall’s elevators, chillers and point-of-sale systems when Uganda’s utility voltage dips.

A glass-fronted monitoring room on the ground floor tracks voltage, current and harmonics around the clock. Operators can kill power to a single store for maintenance without darkening adjacent units, a feature rare in suburban retail elsewhere in the city. All gear cleared inspection by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards before the first tenant moved in.

Lighting that saves power while selling products

The façade lights that catch motorists’ eyes are only part of the package. Inside corridors and public atria, MKM hung 1,800 addressable LED fittings linked to motion and daylight sensors. At 7 a.m. the system lifts brightness for early deliveries, then trims output as equatorial sun pours through skylights. When traffic thins, fixtures step down to a soft security setting that still meets code. Preliminary billing figures shared by the mall’s management show electricity cost per rented square foot running one-third below similar centers in suburban Kampala.

Mezar & Salt demanded a different palette. MKM inserted adjustable track heads and concealed strip lights in the ceiling coffers, letting the chef swap bright breakfast light for intimate evening hues with a touch screen. The result, says restaurant manager Lydia Wasswa, “feels like you’re eating downtown without the downtown traffic.”

Local economy takes the night shift

The mall’s owners aimed to extend shopping hours beyond sunset, and the plan has worked. Leasing data shows 95 percent occupancy only four months after opening, with tenants ranging from a pharmacy to a sneaker boutique. Sidewalk kiosks and boda-boda riders linger well past 9 p.m., capitalizing on late traffic that never existed before.

Boutique owner Jane Namugga confirms the effect. “I closed at six when the building was dark,” she said while rearranging displays under bright ceiling lights. “Now I keep the doors open until nine. Sales are up, and customers say the place feels safe.”

Traffic counters at the entry plaza recorded a 41% jump in evening visits compared with the developer’s preopening forecast. Kampala Capital City Authority police, whose beat includes Kisaasi, report a drop in petty theft along the adjacent street since the mall went live.

Skills stay in Kampala

More than 70 percent of the electricians, cable jointers and test technicians on the job came from Kampala’s vocational schools. Instead of classroom workshops, MKM pairs senior engineers with apprentices on active circuits, guiding them through torque checks, insulation tests and final commissioning. Many trainees have since signed contracts for MKM’s next builds.

“Ugandan talent doesn’t need to watch from the sidelines,” Chief Technical Officer Oryema Marvin said. “Put tools in their hands and stand back—quality rises fast.”

The company also sourced low-voltage cable from a factory in Namanve and partnered with a Kenyan assembler for smart-lighting boards, trimming import wait times and nudging up regional content.

Built for tomorrow’s load

The main switchboard still has spare breaker slots, and stubbed conduits wait on the roof for solar feeds under a future net-metering plan. MKM designed the backbone for a 20-percent load growth; the mezzanine level can accept another restaurant or a fitness club without service upgrades.

A baseline energy model run before construction projected annual use at 1.9 million kilowatt-hours. The first month after opening came in at 1.25 million, a trajectory that would avoid roughly 430 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to calculators from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.

New work on the books

With KTL Mall complete, MKM has lined up four major jobs. Crews will soon travel by ferry to Bugala Island in Kalangala District to erect a 100-kilowatt off-grid solar array. Design drawings are under way for refrigerated warehouses in Nakawa and a commercial mall in Makindye, while an energy-audit team heads west to a manufacturing plant in Mbarara. Each project will mirror Kisaasi’s template: resilient distribution, intelligent lighting and on-the-job training that expands Uganda’s technical workforce.

“We don’t chase the tallest skyline,” Rory said. “We chase reliable power that lets people work, shop and relax after dark.”

A suburb’s new centerpiece

Stand at the far edge of the paved courtyard and the mall towers overhead, its portals framed in stone cladding and arches lit like stage wings. Arrows of LED dots race along the parapets, catching in the chrome wheels of parked motorcycles. Families pose for phone photos near the entrance. Vendors pass steaming maize to customers who never glance at the sky; they trust the lights will hold.

Founded in 2016, MKM Engineering designs and installs electrical systems, solar arrays, audit services and security technology across Uganda. It pitches every job as an engine for community progress, matching modern hardware with local skill to keep the power on and the night alive.