Kawempe MP appeals to KCCA on evictions

By Raymond Baguma                                 

Kawempe South MP Ssebuliba Mutumba has appealed to Kampala Capital City Authority to establish a plan for business people displaced by ongoing demolition of illegal structures in the city.

This comes after KCCA embarked on an exercise to demolish illegal structures in parts of Kampala.

On Friday, KCCA enforcement officials carried out a similar exercise in Wandegeya, a suburb very near the city centre. According to KCCA, some of the structures were set up illegally while others are in the road reserve.

Several affected people operated businesses in the structures which included restaurants, stationery shops, motor repair garages, mobile money shops, and saloons.

Ssebuliba said that the challenge in Uganda is that development overtook planning and most urban settlements are unplanned.

He noted that other work places in several parts of Kampala city have been earmarked for demolition due to ongoing expansion of infrastructure such as roads, which will affect several youths with businesses.

“Development must be there, but how are we going to plan for the youth we are displacing? That’s the problem. We have to plan, otherwise there will be more crime.

“We should work together and plan for youth. If we don’t plan for youth, whatever infrastructure we are putting in place will be pointless in future,” said the legislator.

The MP was on Friday chief guest at the inaugural graduation ceremony for Bwaise Youth Empowerment Centre in Kawempe division.

The training centre was set up last year by a local NGO Action for Fundamental Change and Development (AFFCAD) and is supported by the US Mission in Uganda.

Over 630 youths graduated after completing vocational training in hair dressing, electrical installation, catering, graphic design, tailoring and fashion design, video editing and photography.

Muhammed Kisirisa, the co-founder of AFFCAD said that the centre was started up to support out-of-school youth from
Kampala slum areas of Bwaise to acquire skills to enable them generate incomes.

“Youths should not be used as instruments of violence during riots. Government should engage them in profitable activities to enable them make incomes to sustain themselves,” said Kisirisa.