Uganda learns from Japan to reimagine Greater Kampala infrastructure

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Uganda is looking to Japan as a model for transforming Greater Kampala, officials from the Office of the President revealed during an interministerial meeting on the Greater Kampala Integrated Urban Development Master Plan (GKIUDMP), held on October 21, 2025, at the Office of the President conference hall.

The event was presided over by local government minister Raphael Magyezi and attended by several government officials.

Monica Edemachu Ejua, undersecretary at the Ministry of Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, said Uganda’s technical officers visited Japan to study metropolitan and detailed urban planning practices, with the goal of applying the lessons to the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA).

“Thirty technical officers across different MDAs travelled to Japan in two phases. The first group went to Tokyo to study metropolitan planning, while the second visited Japan to examine detailed urban planning. The team, including fiscal planners, saw firsthand how Japan integrates infrastructure development with fiscal and economic planning,” Ejua said.

The GKMA covers the administrative area of Kampala capital city, the district local governments of Mpigi, Mukono, and Wakiso, and the urban councils of Mukono, Kira, Nansana, Makindye Ssabagabo, and Entebbe.

The master plan divides the metropolitan area into three zones: the already congested core metropolitan area, the Greater Kampala Urban Growth Area (GKMA), and the wider metropolitan area. Priority infrastructure projects for the next 25 years, including roads, drainage, housing, and urban services, have been identified.

“We realised that if at least one billion US dollars is invested in GKMA annually, we can implement this master plan successfully. Japan’s approach to integrating development with fiscal planning offers valuable lessons for our region,” Ejua added.

She noted that detailed plans have already been developed for several areas, including Namataba in Mukono District, and that capacity-building initiatives were embedded in the process to ensure local technical officers can oversee effective implementation.

“With practical experience and coordinated efforts, we will take this plan to Cabinet for approval. Afterwards, a coordination unit housed in the Ministry of Kampala, but comprising different MDAs, will identify priority projects and ensure they are executed in line with the master plan,” Ejua said.

The undersecretary also credited the National Planning Authority for supporting the plan, noting that amendments to the law had shifted fiscal planning responsibilities to its board, which has now approved the framework for Cabinet consideration.

“The lessons from Japan, coupled with our coordinated planning efforts, position us to modernise Greater Kampala in a structured and sustainable manner,” she said.

The master plan aims to transform Greater Kampala into a liveable, economically vibrant, and well-organised metropolitan area, aligning infrastructure development with fiscal planning and long-term urban growth strategies.

The Ministry of Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, with support from JICA, developed the master plan as part of efforts to manage urban growth sustainably. Since its development, multiple stakeholder engagements have been held, and the plan has been approved by the National Planning Authority board and is now awaiting Cabinet presentation.