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The Government is working on measures that will restrict bungalows in favour of high-rise buildings in all cities, including Kampala.

“Since our land is static and our population is growing and the rate of urbanization is high, we are now looking at encouraging high-rise buildings and settlements,” Judith Nabakooba, the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Planning said.

She said they plan to even consolidate some villages in rural areas into settlement zones so they can be serviced better with water, power, and other amenities.

This will free up more land for other economic activities to develop the country.

She was speaking during the launch of the National Physical Development Plan (NPDP) at the President’s Office in Kampala on April 17. The event was presided over by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Affairs Rebecca Kadaga and was attended by over 10 ministers.

Citing Uganda Bureau of Statistics (2020) figures, which projected Uganda’s population to hit 75 million by 2040 and 100 million by 2060, the minister said this poses a challenge for livelihoods and settlement considering that land is not elastic.

She noted that the interventions are, therefore, aimed at, among others, forestalling rising informal settlements, inefficient transports, waste management challenges, increased vulnerabilities due to the impacts of climate change, and increased risks during the events of natural disasters.

The plan is partly tailored to streamlining planning in urban areas in anticipation of an increase of the urban population from 20 percent of the total Uganda population to 40 percent of the population.

Under the plan, the government plans to gazette areas for different economic activities in a bid to realise economies of scale.

Some of these creations include strategic agricultural zones, natural resource zones, biodiversity zones, and infrastructural zones.