Rethink Nakawa, Naguru !
Dec 28, 2003
The battle still rages on to evict the residents of the dilapidated Naguru and Nakawa estates. Kampala City Council wants to modernise the area by razing the rotten houses, redemarcate the plots for modern buildings
The battle still rages on to evict the residents of the dilapidated Naguru and Nakawa estates. Kampala City Council wants to modernise the area by razing the rotten houses, redemarcate the plots for modern buildings. Naguru will become commercial while Nakawa is to remain a residential area.
Stakeholders met the President during the Christmas holiday to put to him their case. The president agreed with plans to modernise the city but he also suggested that KCC should consider sourcing donors to develop high rise flats in one corner of the estates to accommodate the current tenants.
The proposal is good and sensitive to the residents. What these people need is not special treatment but a decent, practical option that does not delay urban development.
We also want to suggest an alternative. Let KCC negotiate with neighbouring Wakiso district to acquire land for a housing estate. KCC should involve a developer like National Housing, lending institutions like Housing Finance or DFCU banks and government to discuss financing, mortgages at more affordable terms for the ex-Nakawa, Naguru residents.
This is a win-win situation. KCC will have resettled these people and redeveloped the old estates with ease; Wakiso will get a modern estate with its associated facilities and a taxable population; the banks and developers will be in business and government will avoid getting this issue politicised. The displaced tenants will also have a chance to own proper houses. After-all the enabling Condominium Law is now available.
The renovation of these estates has delayed for over ten years because the eviction of tenants always became an election issue in the LC and parliamentary polls. How much longer should development wait?
Stakeholders met the President during the Christmas holiday to put to him their case. The president agreed with plans to modernise the city but he also suggested that KCC should consider sourcing donors to develop high rise flats in one corner of the estates to accommodate the current tenants.
The proposal is good and sensitive to the residents. What these people need is not special treatment but a decent, practical option that does not delay urban development.
We also want to suggest an alternative. Let KCC negotiate with neighbouring Wakiso district to acquire land for a housing estate. KCC should involve a developer like National Housing, lending institutions like Housing Finance or DFCU banks and government to discuss financing, mortgages at more affordable terms for the ex-Nakawa, Naguru residents.
This is a win-win situation. KCC will have resettled these people and redeveloped the old estates with ease; Wakiso will get a modern estate with its associated facilities and a taxable population; the banks and developers will be in business and government will avoid getting this issue politicised. The displaced tenants will also have a chance to own proper houses. After-all the enabling Condominium Law is now available.
The renovation of these estates has delayed for over ten years because the eviction of tenants always became an election issue in the LC and parliamentary polls. How much longer should development wait?