City Authority to demolish 47 buildings

Jul 01, 2011

THE Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has started demolishing illegal structures in various parts of the city, in a major crackdown on unplanned settlements.

By Taddeo Bwambale and John Masaba

THE Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has started demolishing illegal structures in various parts of the city, in a major crackdown on unplanned settlements.

This follows a notice by the authority to proprietors of several buildings in the city suburbs to remove structures located in gazetted areas, including road reserves.

The authority has lined up 42 structures for demolition in the five divisions of Kampala over failure to comply with building standards.

According to a list obtained by New Vision yesterday, 12 of the structures are located in central division, 18 in Nakawa, six in Makindye, eight in Rubaga and two in Kawempe.

The structures include commercial buildings, residential apartments, garages, lodges, washing bays, a fuel station and hoardings (fenced off construction sites), set up without permits from KCCA.

Most of the affected structures are already complete and occupied by tenants, while others are nearing completion.

During one of the operations yesterday, KCCA demolished a kiosk and a fence in Kamwokya. The facilities belonged to Shumuk Dairy Products and Mukwano Group of Companies.

KCCA’s deputy director for urban planning and head of the operation, George Agaba, said the crackdown would continue in all the five city divisions.

He also said the authority was considering preferring charges against the proprietors of the structures for breaching the set guidelines.

“We spend a lot on these operations and these people will have to bear the costs. The Urban and Council Planning Act gives us the mandate to fine them,” Agaba said.

KCCA’s principal spokesperson, Simon Muhumuza, yesterday confirmed the operation and said proprietors of some of the affected structures do not have building plans.

He said some of the owners either did not submit their plans to KCCA for approval or submitted, but failed to follow them up. He added that hoardings to be demolished were set up without permits or had expired.

Only three of the owners of the structures have responded to the notice by either pulling them down, submitting their building plans for approval by KCCA or acquired plans, Muhumuza disclosed.

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