Nadduli opposes Kampala extension

The Minister without Portfolio Haji Abdul Nadduli has a divergent view on government's plan to merge Kampala with three more districts which include Wakiso, Mpigi and Mukono.

The plan dubbed Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) hopes to integrate Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono and Mpigi urban areas into one megalopolis.  

GKMA was launched recently following a consensus by different stakeholders including World Bank, National Planning Authority (NPA) and the districts' leadership.

According to government, the strategic plan aims at ensuring the area is jointly planned and developed with modern infrastructure and amenities.

However, in her endeavor to popularize the plan, the minister of Kampala Betti Kamya has met resistance and criticism from a number of politicians including fellow member of the cabinet, Naduli.

Citing problems in Kampala like failure to construct flyovers to ease traffic, and containing flood in areas like Bwaise, Nadduli said, "First update the standards of Kampala before expanding it."

Although the plan aims at among other things constructing a road network which will link Kampala to the three districts for economic and infrastructural development, Nadduli argues that Kampala is in a poor state and cannot add development to other districts.

Another politician who has openly attacked Kamya over the merger is Mukono MP Beti Nambooze who is also a shadow minster for local government. She allegedly implied that the merger was a government plans to grab Buganda Kingdom land.

In her response, Kamya has continued to emphasize that the merger is not about boundaries but coordination of the metropolitan affairs and that it not unique to Kampala but for the entire country.

Kamya also accused leaders of inciting the public by peddling false information on the plan.

"I think some of our leaders are abusing the lack of information of people who support them by giving them false information, just to incite them. I think that is abuse of trust," she said.