Uganda to host first Expo for urban areas

PIC: Ugandans at one of the country's festivals. Uganda's expo for urban areas will be the first of its kind. (File photo)

EXPO

KAMPALA - At least 10,000 people from Uganda and 50 other countries are expected to grace Uganda's first Urban Expo organised to showcase investment opportunities in the country's urban areas.

Scheduled to take place in Jinja from September 5-9, the expo will bring together participants from Uganda's 41 municipalities and 400 town councils.

"We want urban authorities to showcase what they are doing and the opportunities that exist for investors.

"We have challenges in road construction, garbage collection and urban financing. We are looking for partners with solutions," Majid Batambuze, the Mayor of Jinja district said on Thursday.

Isaac Musumba, the state minister for lands, housing and urban development said the expo was part of measures by government to draw attention to urbanisation by addressing development of urban areas.

"We are paying more attention to urban areas because much of the country's economic activity takes place there and the highest tax returns are from those areas," he explained.

The forthcoming expo, first conceived in 2016, it is the brainchild of the Urban Authorities Association of Uganda, which brings together all urban entities in the country.

About 50% of the world's population lives in urban areas. According to Cities Alliance, there are over 4,000 cities in the world with populations exceeding 100,000, most of them in developing countries.