Ugandan engineer James Mugoya Isabirye is known for his role in constructing some of Kenya’s prominent buildings, including Times Tower and the NSSF building.
TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.
Thousands of Nairobi residents and visitors pass Times Tower every day, yet few are aware of the Ugandan businessman whose construction firm helped erect the iconic skyscraper in the heart of the city's central business district.
James Mugoya Isabirye is the Ugandan contractor behind Nairobi's Times Tower. Photos: Fatwes TV and Triad Architects. Source: UGCJames Mugoya Isabirye founded Mugoya Construction & Engineering Limited, the company credited with building Times Tower and Social Security House, commonly known as the NSSF Building on Bishop Road.
The firm's portfolio extended to other notable projects across Kenya, among them Hazina Estate, Moi High School Kabarak, Kabarak University and the Kisumu Provincial Headquarters.
Mugoya was born in Uganda and relocated to Kenya to pursue civil engineering at the University of Nairobi, graduating in October 1971.
He subsequently established his construction company, which grew considerably during the administration of former president Daniel arap Moi.
Media reports characterised him as a politically connected contractor who benefited from close ties to government during that era.
According to Who Owns Kenya, although Mugoya's company carried out the construction of Times Tower, the building's design was the work of Triad Architects.
The contract to build the tower was awarded in 1992, and the project was completed in 2000. Standing at 38 floors, the building became the headquarters of the Kenya Revenue Authority and ranked among the tallest structures in Kenya at the time of its completion.
The company also became entangled in a protracted dispute over a 1995 NSSF contract to build 265 houses in Karen, together with an administration block, clubhouse and kindergarten.
Planning approval hurdles brought the project to a standstill, and Mugoya pursued compensation for the delays. In 2012, he received KSh342 million through an out-of-court settlement, having initially sought KSh633 million.
In September 2015, the High Court ordered its liquidation following creditor petitions over unpaid debts. Business Daily reported that the court determined the firm was unable to meet its financial obligations, bringing a difficult end to a company that had once shaped some of Kenya's most recognisable skyline features.
Japhet Ruto (Current Affairs and Business Editor) Japhet Ruto, an award-winning journalist, is a Business & Tech Editor at TUKO.co.ke (joined in 2019). Ruto has over nine years' experience and graduated from Moi University in 2015 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Journalism. He won the 2019 BAKE Awards’ Agriculture Blog of the Year. . Best CA editor 2019-2022. Best TUKO business editor 2023-2026. Attended the 2026 immersion training on customs and trade facilitation for digital and mainstream media. Email: japhet.ruto@tuko.co.ke.
