Why Kampala divisions want municipality status
Jul 18, 2007
For several months, Kampala city divisions have been proposing that they be turned into municipalities or districts. The five division chairpersons argue that there is a lot of bureaucracy at City Hall, the seat of Kampala City Council (KCC), which prevents them from doing their work effectively. <
By Joshua Kato
For several months, Kampala city divisions have been proposing that they be turned into municipalities or districts. The five division chairpersons argue that there is a lot of bureaucracy at City Hall, the seat of Kampala City Council (KCC), which prevents them from doing their work effectively.
They also argue that the population has grown, hence the need to bring services nearer to the people.
According to the Local Government Act, all city divisions are deemed to be municipalities, but they do not operate like municipalities. The Act says a municipality should have a population of over 100,000, while a city should have over 500,000 people. The municipalities should also have the capacity to meet their cost of delivering services, have offices and a plan for land usage. All the divisions of Kampala meet all these requirements.
The chairpersons of the divisions argue that their service delivery is affected since the Government channels their funding through KCC. They say the funds take long to reach the divisions and are sometimes diverted.
“We are, by law, supposed to collect taxes and send them to KCC, which has to return 65% of the money collected to the divisions. However, this does not go on smoothly,†says Moses Kalungi, the chairman of Makindye Division.
For instance, KCC still owes Kampala Central and Kawempe divisions sh3.4b and sh4b respectively in unremitted funds from the last financial year.
“When we ask for our funds, the city authorities tell us they have used them for developmental work, but this work does not extend to our divisions,†Nasser Takuba, the chairman of Kawempe Division, says.
Nakawa is the largest division, with a population of about 400,000 people, Rubaga and Kawempe divisions have about 300,000 each, while Kampala Central has around 100,000 people. When the chairmen compare their populations to other districts, they argue that they have all the requirements to become districts.
Kawempe Division is located in the north of the city. Its key areas include Makerere University, Bwaise, Kalerwe, Kyebando, Kazo and Mpererwe. The division, like the rest of the city, is multi-ethnic.
The division has only two government-aided secondary schools and 14 primary schools. However, there are over 150 private primary and secondary schools.
“All these facilities will improve if the division becomes a municipality,†Takuba says.
Nakawa, with Protazio Kintu as its chairman, is located in the east of the city, with Makerere University Business School, Mbuya Barracks, Luzira, Bugolobi, Nakawa Market, Ntinda, Bukoto, Kyambogo University and Kyanja as its key areas. Although some areas like Naguru Katale and Banda are densely populated, the division has fewer slums, compared to Kawempe, Makindye and Rubaga divisions.
Located in the centre of the city, Kampala Central Division mainly comprises the central business area of Nakasero and residential areas like Kololo, Wandegeya, Kamwokya and Kisenyi. The division is currently led by Godfrey Nyakaana.
Makindye, which is located to the south-east of the city, is one of the most densely populated divisions. Its key areas include Kibuye, Katwe, Kansanga, Gaba, Munyonyo and Nsambya. The division has 22 parishes.
“We are hiding in the coats of the city and yet we have to deliver services to the people,†Kalungi says.
Led by Winnie Makumbi, Rubaga division occupies the southern part of the city. Its key areas are Mengo, Bulange, Lubiri, Ndeeba, Nateete, Nakulabye and Kasubi.
All the five divisions have almost similar sources of revenue. These include Nakasero and St Balikudembe markets in Kampala Central, Nakawa and Bugolobi in Nakawa Division, Nateete, Kasubi and Kibuye in Rubaga Division and Kalerwe, Bwaise and Wandegeya in Kawempe Division. The divisions also collect licence fees, parking fees, property taxes, etc.
“Makindye Division is bigger than many districts in the country,†Kalungi says, citing Lyantonde district, which has a population of around 60,000 people.
If the divisions became municipalities, they would have bigger populations compared to other municipalities in the country. The average population of other municipalities is 100,000 people. Entebbe municipality has slightly over 100,000 people, while Fort Portal, Mbarara, Mbale and Gulu have less than 100,000.
Once their demand is granted, divisions will receive their funding directly from the Government.
“We shall recruit our own people to implement our programmes. At the moment, we depend on people from the City Hall who do not have any allegiance to us.
“We shall be able to make and implement our decisions without relying on KCC,†says Kalungi.
After becoming municipalities, the divisions will have their own road units to manage the road network.
“Kampala city has only one grader, which is in a poor condition. It cannot grade roads throughout the five divisions,†Kalungi says.
Municipalities throughout the country receive their own road management funds directly from the Government, while Kampala divisions, which have bigger populations do not. For instance, Jinja municipality will receive at least sh280m for management of roads this financial year, while the proposed sh15b for Kampala will go directly to City Hall.
Other cities
According to Takuba, making Kampala divisions municipalities of the district status will not be peculiar to Uganda.
“In Tanzania, Dar-es-salaam has districts, not divisions,†he explains. Big cities all over the world have districts and not divisions.
For several months, Kampala city divisions have been proposing that they be turned into municipalities or districts. The five division chairpersons argue that there is a lot of bureaucracy at City Hall, the seat of Kampala City Council (KCC), which prevents them from doing their work effectively.
They also argue that the population has grown, hence the need to bring services nearer to the people.
According to the Local Government Act, all city divisions are deemed to be municipalities, but they do not operate like municipalities. The Act says a municipality should have a population of over 100,000, while a city should have over 500,000 people. The municipalities should also have the capacity to meet their cost of delivering services, have offices and a plan for land usage. All the divisions of Kampala meet all these requirements.
The chairpersons of the divisions argue that their service delivery is affected since the Government channels their funding through KCC. They say the funds take long to reach the divisions and are sometimes diverted.
“We are, by law, supposed to collect taxes and send them to KCC, which has to return 65% of the money collected to the divisions. However, this does not go on smoothly,†says Moses Kalungi, the chairman of Makindye Division.
For instance, KCC still owes Kampala Central and Kawempe divisions sh3.4b and sh4b respectively in unremitted funds from the last financial year.
“When we ask for our funds, the city authorities tell us they have used them for developmental work, but this work does not extend to our divisions,†Nasser Takuba, the chairman of Kawempe Division, says.
Nakawa is the largest division, with a population of about 400,000 people, Rubaga and Kawempe divisions have about 300,000 each, while Kampala Central has around 100,000 people. When the chairmen compare their populations to other districts, they argue that they have all the requirements to become districts.
Kawempe Division is located in the north of the city. Its key areas include Makerere University, Bwaise, Kalerwe, Kyebando, Kazo and Mpererwe. The division, like the rest of the city, is multi-ethnic.
The division has only two government-aided secondary schools and 14 primary schools. However, there are over 150 private primary and secondary schools.
“All these facilities will improve if the division becomes a municipality,†Takuba says.
Nakawa, with Protazio Kintu as its chairman, is located in the east of the city, with Makerere University Business School, Mbuya Barracks, Luzira, Bugolobi, Nakawa Market, Ntinda, Bukoto, Kyambogo University and Kyanja as its key areas. Although some areas like Naguru Katale and Banda are densely populated, the division has fewer slums, compared to Kawempe, Makindye and Rubaga divisions.
Located in the centre of the city, Kampala Central Division mainly comprises the central business area of Nakasero and residential areas like Kololo, Wandegeya, Kamwokya and Kisenyi. The division is currently led by Godfrey Nyakaana.
Makindye, which is located to the south-east of the city, is one of the most densely populated divisions. Its key areas include Kibuye, Katwe, Kansanga, Gaba, Munyonyo and Nsambya. The division has 22 parishes.
“We are hiding in the coats of the city and yet we have to deliver services to the people,†Kalungi says.
Led by Winnie Makumbi, Rubaga division occupies the southern part of the city. Its key areas are Mengo, Bulange, Lubiri, Ndeeba, Nateete, Nakulabye and Kasubi.
All the five divisions have almost similar sources of revenue. These include Nakasero and St Balikudembe markets in Kampala Central, Nakawa and Bugolobi in Nakawa Division, Nateete, Kasubi and Kibuye in Rubaga Division and Kalerwe, Bwaise and Wandegeya in Kawempe Division. The divisions also collect licence fees, parking fees, property taxes, etc.
“Makindye Division is bigger than many districts in the country,†Kalungi says, citing Lyantonde district, which has a population of around 60,000 people.
If the divisions became municipalities, they would have bigger populations compared to other municipalities in the country. The average population of other municipalities is 100,000 people. Entebbe municipality has slightly over 100,000 people, while Fort Portal, Mbarara, Mbale and Gulu have less than 100,000.
Once their demand is granted, divisions will receive their funding directly from the Government.
“We shall recruit our own people to implement our programmes. At the moment, we depend on people from the City Hall who do not have any allegiance to us.
“We shall be able to make and implement our decisions without relying on KCC,†says Kalungi.
After becoming municipalities, the divisions will have their own road units to manage the road network.
“Kampala city has only one grader, which is in a poor condition. It cannot grade roads throughout the five divisions,†Kalungi says.
Municipalities throughout the country receive their own road management funds directly from the Government, while Kampala divisions, which have bigger populations do not. For instance, Jinja municipality will receive at least sh280m for management of roads this financial year, while the proposed sh15b for Kampala will go directly to City Hall.
Other cities
According to Takuba, making Kampala divisions municipalities of the district status will not be peculiar to Uganda.
“In Tanzania, Dar-es-salaam has districts, not divisions,†he explains. Big cities all over the world have districts and not divisions.