Purpose of Addressing Informal Market Exclusion
This page explains the exclusion of informal residential segments from listing-based residential data in Kampala. The purpose is to clarify why significant portions of residential activity do not appear within platform-visible listings and to define this absence as a structural characteristic rather than a data gap or anomaly.
The discussion establishes a clear decision boundary for interpreting residential visibility.
Nature of Informal Residential Segments
Informal residential segments encompass housing arrangements that operate outside fully formalized advertising, registration, or intermediary channels. These arrangements may involve direct negotiation, localized networks, or non-platform-based transactions.
Within this context, informal segments are referenced only to explain their relationship to data visibility, not to describe their scale, conditions, or characteristics.
Structural Drivers of Exclusion
Listing platforms primarily capture residential properties that are intentionally advertised through formal digital channels. Informal residential segments are structurally less likely to engage with these channels due to limited platform participation, non-standard documentation, or alternative modes of circulation.
This results in systematic exclusion rather than random omission.
Visibility Bias and Representation Limits
The absence of informal residential segments introduces a visibility bias within the dataset. What appears visible represents only a subset of residential activity that aligns with platform-mediated publication practices.
This bias is uneven across the city and cannot be corrected within the dataset.
Interpretive Boundaries
The exclusion of informal residential segments should not be interpreted as absence of housing or residential demand. It reflects the limits of platform-based visibility.
This boundary applies across all market, risk, and methodology modules that reference residential listings in Kampala.