Katwe slum to get facelift
Sep 17, 2006
AKRIGHT Projects has entered into a venture with Kampala City Council to turn Katwe slum into a satellite city.
By Ricks Kayizzi
AKRIGHT Projects has entered into a venture with Kampala City Council to turn Katwe slum into a satellite city.
Anatoli Kamugisha, Akright’s managing director, said recently that the initiative would introduce orderly housing and habitable environment.
“We are looking at organising them into a set up that can address the hygiene, accessibility and multifunctional commercial environment, to help them fight poverty,†Kamugisha, said in an interview in Kampala.
He said they will construct blocks of between four and eight floors, to be put up under the condominium law arrangement.
He said the beneficiaries would then acquire and own the flats under a revolving fund. This would enable the developers pool resources to build more units constructed, Kamugisha said.
He said each unit would have basement parking, commercial services, offices and residential apartments. Kamugisha said the model would be similar to that used in Singapore.
“This reduces congestion since people work, live and get all services from within the building,†he said.
Kamugisha said the area to be developed is between 300 and 400 acres.
He said the project had already kicked off with surveys and negotiations with the beneficiaries.
“By mid next year, we will have put a few structures on the ground. Our aim is to get this project off the ground before the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting,†he said. Akright already runs nine housing estates in and around Kampala.
Meanwhile, REFCO Lighting Company has become the first firm to be housed in the recently opened Akright Innovation Centre.
The firm deals in refcoliates, which are purpose-made metallic boxes containing a system of electronic devices, which uses little power to fire two fluorescent tubes.
“We have decided to support Refco Lighting Company by offering an engineering facility at the proposed Innovation Centre to produce refcolites and other lighting systems including solar panels,†said Kamugisha.
He said energy-efficient street lighting was a universal need. “The refcolite innovation has a bright future and has proved to be beneficial to our country. It deserves all the support it can get,†Kamugisha said.
The system is designed to produce free light so that the user has a lot of light that does not have to be paid for, in form of an electricity bill.
“This is achieved by a set of mirrors which cause cross and direct reflection that makes the refcolite appear to be a strong floodlight at night. The system has already been found to be successful at Akright’s Kakungulu Estate and Masaka Municipality, said Kamugisha.
He said Select Supplies Ltd, a renewable clean energy firm, would be the second to be housed in the innovation centre.
AKRIGHT Projects has entered into a venture with Kampala City Council to turn Katwe slum into a satellite city.
Anatoli Kamugisha, Akright’s managing director, said recently that the initiative would introduce orderly housing and habitable environment.
“We are looking at organising them into a set up that can address the hygiene, accessibility and multifunctional commercial environment, to help them fight poverty,†Kamugisha, said in an interview in Kampala.
He said they will construct blocks of between four and eight floors, to be put up under the condominium law arrangement.
He said the beneficiaries would then acquire and own the flats under a revolving fund. This would enable the developers pool resources to build more units constructed, Kamugisha said.
He said each unit would have basement parking, commercial services, offices and residential apartments. Kamugisha said the model would be similar to that used in Singapore.
“This reduces congestion since people work, live and get all services from within the building,†he said.
Kamugisha said the area to be developed is between 300 and 400 acres.
He said the project had already kicked off with surveys and negotiations with the beneficiaries.
“By mid next year, we will have put a few structures on the ground. Our aim is to get this project off the ground before the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting,†he said. Akright already runs nine housing estates in and around Kampala.
Meanwhile, REFCO Lighting Company has become the first firm to be housed in the recently opened Akright Innovation Centre.
The firm deals in refcoliates, which are purpose-made metallic boxes containing a system of electronic devices, which uses little power to fire two fluorescent tubes.
“We have decided to support Refco Lighting Company by offering an engineering facility at the proposed Innovation Centre to produce refcolites and other lighting systems including solar panels,†said Kamugisha.
He said energy-efficient street lighting was a universal need. “The refcolite innovation has a bright future and has proved to be beneficial to our country. It deserves all the support it can get,†Kamugisha said.
The system is designed to produce free light so that the user has a lot of light that does not have to be paid for, in form of an electricity bill.
“This is achieved by a set of mirrors which cause cross and direct reflection that makes the refcolite appear to be a strong floodlight at night. The system has already been found to be successful at Akright’s Kakungulu Estate and Masaka Municipality, said Kamugisha.
He said Select Supplies Ltd, a renewable clean energy firm, would be the second to be housed in the innovation centre.