UN lauds Uganda on slums reduction
Apr 01, 2010
THE UN has named Uganda one of the most successful countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in reducing slum dwellers in the last 10 years.
By Joyce Namutebi
THE UN has named Uganda one of the most successful countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in reducing slum dwellers in the last 10 years.
The standard of living of about 24 million slum dwellers in Africa has improved in the last 10 years, representing 12% of the global effort to narrow the urban divide, according to the “State of the World’s Cities 2010/2011†report released by the UN-Habitat recently.
The report stated that in Sub-Saharan Africa, the population of people living in slums has reduced by 5% (17 million people).
“Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, Rwanda and Guinea were the most successful countries in the region in reducing the problem,†the report said.
State minister for urban development Urban Tibamanya explained yesterday that the country has not had slums coming up for the last 20 years.
He said the slums that existed such as Wandegeya and Namuwongo have been transformed.
“What we have now are unplanned developments such as Muyenga, but slums have definitely reduced and there are no new ones coming up,†he said.
But a recent report produced by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development indicates that Uganda is faced with a deficit of over 1.5 million housing units.
THE UN has named Uganda one of the most successful countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in reducing slum dwellers in the last 10 years.
The standard of living of about 24 million slum dwellers in Africa has improved in the last 10 years, representing 12% of the global effort to narrow the urban divide, according to the “State of the World’s Cities 2010/2011†report released by the UN-Habitat recently.
The report stated that in Sub-Saharan Africa, the population of people living in slums has reduced by 5% (17 million people).
“Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, Rwanda and Guinea were the most successful countries in the region in reducing the problem,†the report said.
State minister for urban development Urban Tibamanya explained yesterday that the country has not had slums coming up for the last 20 years.
He said the slums that existed such as Wandegeya and Namuwongo have been transformed.
“What we have now are unplanned developments such as Muyenga, but slums have definitely reduced and there are no new ones coming up,†he said.
But a recent report produced by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development indicates that Uganda is faced with a deficit of over 1.5 million housing units.