Mukono Municipality is struggling to popularize its newly drafted physical development plan unveiled to guide planning as well as bring about orderly settlement in the area.
The draft is facing strong criticism from mainly the business community and residents who claim it is intended to bring chaos in the guise of streamlining development limited not to evicting traders and hiking prices on approval building plans.
Nubuwati Kalumba, a resident at Mukono Municipality wonders why the municipality is calling stakeholders after drafting the entire physical plan yet none was consulted at the initiation stage of the idea.
The draft which is currently being discussed with the various stakeholders is sponsored directly by the government through the Ministries of Kampala Metropolitan Area and also Lands, Housing and Urban Development at Shillings 500 million.
Much as it is intended to provide a framework for guiding orderly, sustainable, progressive and holistic development, the business community is scared of brutal implementation especially in the already developed area.
Jonathan Mugerwa a trader at Mukono Central Division says several areas indicated in the drafted plan are already occupied with expensive infrastructure hard to replace.
“It is hard for us to interpret, especially when it is supported by authorities in Kampala, they have failed to streamline development in the city and are now jumping to Mukono. We are worried it may be a plot to start brutalizing traders in Mukono Municipality.” Mugerwa notes.
During its unveiling, the Municipal Town Clerk, Godfrey Kisekka warned residents and the business community that such negative criticism is intended to sabotage the proper implementation of a good development plan.
According to him, since the elevation of Mukono town council to the level of the municipality in 2010, it has lacked a development physical plan which describes the disorderly developments in the area as well as environmental hazards.
He also notes that the current plan is intended to create coordinated zoning specifications to carefully select investment priorities that will accelerate development of the area.
The draft looks at streamlining unplanned urban areas growing at a very high speed. In Mukono Central Division it is mainly targeting wards of Gulu, Anthony-Namumira, Nsuube-Kawuga and Ntawo ward while as in Goma it is looking at Nyenje, Bukerere, Seeta, Nantabulirwa and Misindye.
The draft also looks at the integration of climate change adaptation and mitigation in urban centers especially in the areas housing the industrial park such as Namanve.
The Chairperson of National Physical Planning Board, Amanda Ngabirano warns against politicization of development matters by some residents and politicians saying such habits prevents enhancement of relevant standards.
She appeals to the consultant of GIPEA Africa to exhibit equity while executing their work in Mukono so as to create competitive and innovative towns within the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
English 