KCC should save us from dust and empty plots

Oct 30, 2005

THE dust that covers Kampala during the dry season is an issue of great concern. Kampala must be one of the dustiest cities in Africa. This wasn’t the case 30 years ago. So who is responsible?

By Feroz Khan

THE dust that covers Kampala during the dry season is an issue of great concern. Kampala must be one of the dustiest cities in Africa. This wasn’t the case 30 years ago. So who is responsible?

I would like to blame Kampala City Council (KCC) and other urban planning departments. The most obvious source of this dust has been the several large scale construction sites that have been opened up in and around Kampala over the years.

It seems KCC which sanctions construction projects does not adequately play its supervisory role after approving the building plans. Nor do they reign in project owners to complete them in a given time. This results in sites being excavated and levelled but for long time no structure is put up. Subsequently, rains wash away the soil to low-lying areas which clogs the drainage system.

With the drainage system blocked, the run-off then starts moving towards the roads where it deposits tonnes of earth. These mud deposits dry up and become obstacles on the roads. When the dry spell sets in, these obstacles become the source of dust which is a big inconvenience to road users. Consequently, Kampala is perpetually covered in a blanket of dust. No building in Kampala has been spared by this dust. I believe the bill for treating respiratory diseases will soon skyrockets.

This problem can not be reversed in the short term but it can be controlled. The urban authorities can, for a start, be more vigilant in supervision and monitoring of construction sites. If the project owners have no funds to continue the projects after grading the sites they should be compelled by a by-law to plant fast-growing grass and soil-binding vegetation as they mobilise resources to start building.

They could also be compelled to take any other appropriate measures to ensure that there is no soil erosion during the wet season. KCC’s efforts to lay pavements on some of the sidewalks in Kampala are quite commendable. But this is too little, too late.

Another eyesore that needs to be addressed by KCC are the several empty plots in the middle of the city. Some of these plots are conspicuously located between high-rise buildings and they are unkempt and a terrible sight. These include the plots opposite Central Police Station, Constitutional Square and the main Post Office.

Why doesn’t KCC pass a by-law requiring the plot owners to plant flowers and shrubs on them and keep maintaining the vegetation until they are ready to start construction? Right now the empty plots are serving as temporary garbage disposal sites and toilets for pedestrians.

The writer is a regular reader of New Vision

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