Poor physical planning blamed on politicians

By Fred Turyakira

Political interference has led to the messy situation and poor physical planning in urban centres in the country, Savino Katsigaire, the director of Physical Planning and Urban Development, has said.

“It is lack of integrity for politicians to ignore the existing laws and interfere in the planning of towns instead of giving experts the freedom to play their role in planning the towns,” he said.

He added that politicians do this in order to safeguard their votes.

Katsigaire was addressing district leaders, mayors, chief administrative officers, town clerks and planners during a two-day dissemination workshop on the Physical Planning Act 2010 and the National Land Use Policy for western Uganda.

The ceremony took place at Rwizi Arch Hotel in Mbarara district.

He said the lands ministry is committed to promoting the orderly development of towns with the implementation of the Physical Planning Act 2010 and the National Land Use Policy.

Katsigaire revealed that the ministry has established a new national physical board and physical planning committee to guide in the planning.

He called for partnerships with government departments, political leaders and the community in planning and development of mushrooming towns.

“There has been a problem because leaders were not making the land boards perform their duties. We intend to impose measures where the minister will have to intervene and cause them (land boards) to act in accordance with the law,” he added.

Katsigaire urged districts to have their own vision and draw up development strategies.

Wilson Tumwine, the Mbarara mayor, appealed to the ministry to set affordable fees for physical planning so that people can apply for construction plans.