Entebbe leaders demand city status

Entebbe municipality mayor Vincent Kayanja

During a council meeting held at the municipal headquarters, Entebbe municipality councilors unanimously passed a resolution of elevating the municipality to a city status.

While moving the motion, the deputy mayor who also doubles as the secretary for education, Richard Ssekyondo said Entebbe is the international gateway to Uganda through.

"Similarly, it hosts State House, a UN base and is a leading tourist town in the country with numerous international hotels and convention centres," proposed Mr. Ssekyondo.

Parliament had envisaged upgrading Entebbe to a fully-fledged city within a 10-year period with constructive support from the Government.

However, the decision to elevate the municipality to a city hit a snag because according to Uganda Bureau of Statistics, Entebbe had 79,700 people, compared to the required 350,000 needed for a city.

However, during an interview, Entebbe municipality mayor Vincent Kayanja disputed the population figures, saying his municipality accommodates approximately 30,000 people on average, every day.

"Nonetheless, the population factor should be sidelined in preference to other major factors that contribute to the formation of a city,"  Kayanja said.

Entebbe, which was formerly known as Port Alice, was once Uganda's capital city in the year 1893. As a peninsular, it enjoys a natural value of proximity to the serene water environment of Lake Victoria.