It is now official that the demolition of the National Theatre will start next month after Uganda National Cultural Center (UNCC) issued an ultimatum to tenants at the facility.

UNCC announced at a meeting of all occupants at the theatre held last week that all tenants had up to the end of June to vacate the premises or be forced out.

After demolition, the national theatre will be replaced with a mega business complex that will cost Shs 360bn.

The complex, a 36-storey modern tower, will house a multi-million shopping mall, arcades, modern restaurants, bars, cinemas, state of the art auditoriums and six underground car parking lots.

Sources have told The Tower Post that a contract will be signed with a developer next week ahead of commencement of demolition and construction works.

Constructed in the late 1960s, is located near Uganda’s Parliament building and is one of the 51 buildings and sites in Kampala that were erected before 1970.

According to figures from UNCC, the national theatre building generates Shs 2bn every year but developers say the new complex would generate 25 times the amount.