Parliament to debate creation of 15 new cities

Parliament is this week set to debate the creation of 15 new cities as part of alteration of boundaries under Article 179(1) of the Constitution.

The item for a resolution of Parliament to create new cities was on the Order Paper last Thursday but never got to be considered by the House.

The resolution, which is expected to garner support across the political aisle, will see the creation of a number of new seats in the 11th Parliament.

The cities that are set to be created, according to the draft resolution, will come into effect in a phased manner starting July 1 next year.

The 10 cities are Arua, Gulu, Jinja, Mbarara, Fort Portal, Mbale, Masaka, Hoima, Entebbe and Lira.

Others are Moroto, Nakasongola, Soroti, Kabale and Wakiso.

The cities to take effect on July 1, next year include Arua, Gulu, Jinja, Mbarara, Fort Portal, Mbale and Mbarara.

Hoima city will take effect on July 1, 2021, while Entebbe and Lira cities will become operational a year later.

According to the draft resolution that is set to be moved by local government minister Tom Butiime, the cities of Moroto, Nakasongola, Soroti, Kabale and Wakiso will become operational on July 1, 2023.

The development comes at a time when Government has put a cap on the creation of new administrative units over spiraling administrative costs in the face of a limited resource envelope.

In September, finance minister Matia Kasaija revealed that going forward; any new administrative unit created will have to be accompanied by a certificate of financial
implication to prove that Government has resources to bankroll it.

Kasaija said there is delayed payment of salaries, pension, and gratuity and service providers in various administrative units as a result of competing financial demands.

But despite the concerns about the cost of administration, proponents for the new cities have cited the economic trickledown effect these units will bring to the local people.

With some cities set to come into effect before the next election cycle in 2021, the Government, according Mathias Mpuuga (Masaka Municipality MP), might be forced into compensating councillors and other elected leaders who might lose their offices.

"It is just fair that any elected leader who loses his office as a result of these demarcations is compensated," Mpuuga told New Vision in a telephone interview.
However, efforts to get a comment from Butiime or Jennifer Namuyangu, the state minister for local government, proved futile.

With the first batch of cities set to take effect less than six months to the next elections, there will be no polls for elective offices before 2021.

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