Slums threatened as KCCA earmarks Shs430b for satellite cities

By Patrick Jaramogi    

The face of Kampala is set to change as Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) moves in to revamp the city's dilapidated suburbs, the New Vision has learnt.

The development of Kampala Metropolitan into a satellite city will cost KCCA a whopping USD$15 million.

KCCA director for physical planning George Agaba told the New Vision that plans for effecting the World Bank funded project was in high gear. “We have plans of changing look of Kampala. Some of the plans may affect slums within the city. The bigger master plan that will be concluded by 2012 will see some of the slums and illegal structures erased,” he said.

“We got the funding from World Bank. We shall be rolling out with the master plan by 2012,” he said. The development will be implemented in partnership with Slum Development International (SDI)

New Vision has established the houses in leading slums such as Bwaise, Katwe, Kivulu, Kisenyi, Katanga, Kamwokya, Kiwunya, Kawempe and Nakulabye will be pulled down and replaced with modern housing units.

“Currently we are undertaking the action plans that includes mapping, demarcation and looking at the physical plans of structures. The second phase will involve compensation,” he said.

He pointed out that only owners of legal structures (approved buildings) will be compensated.

He said so far 400 buildings have been identified for demolition for not being in line with approved standards.
‘Some of these buildings were constructed illegally while others were constructed without plans. They will all be brought down,” he said.

Last week two buildings in the city center were demolished for not complying with set standards.

“We have stopped for the moment to deal stray animals, but we are resuming next week,” he said.

He said a special committee of experts had been instituted to advise and guide the team demolishing.

‘Some structures are overlapping other buildings; we don’t want to demolish a building that will fall on another. The committee will guide us on how to go about this,” he said.