Uganda needs another city to relieve congested Kampala

Sep 19, 2011

EDITOR: With over 30 million people, Uganda is one of the countries with the highest population density in the world alongside China, India, Nigeria and others.

EDITOR: With over 30 million people, Uganda is one of the countries with the highest population density in the world alongside China, India, Nigeria and others.

Despite their high population growth, these are among the relatively developed countries with more than one organised capital and commercial cities which I think is possible even in Uganda.

Kampala is the only capital as well as the commercial city of Uganda, compacted with every Government ministry, commercial and financial institutions, comprising of over 60 markets in its five divisions.

This has attracted a very high population that has become a problem in the development of the city. Efforts like relocating taxi parks, banning street vendors, boda bodas and taxis from the city have been made by Kampala Capital City Authority in order to reorganise and bring order in the city.

However, this will not be enough to decongest the city even if the efforts are successful. A lot is still desired to have an organised city. I call upon the Government to think of starting up a new city to relieve Kampala of its present burden.

Towns like Mbale, Jinja, Masaka and Mbarara, if and when given more attention by the Government can easily be developed into cities that can transform this country. It is not advisable to have all Government ministries concentrated in one city because it is a glaring demonstration of regional imbalance and uneven distribution of resources.

There is also the problem of rural-urban migration and its associated disadvantages. The phenomenon is one of the factors that have mostly retarded Uganda’s economic development.

Neighbouring Tanzania, for example, has Dodoma alongside Dar-es-Salaam, Nigeria has Lagos alongside Abuja while America has New York alongside Washington. Many other developed countries like China and Japan have developed alternative cities due to their ever increasing population and their needs.

I, therefore, call upon the Government to take a leaf from these countries in order to keep on the right track as a developing country.
Benard Yiga
Makerere University

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