Uganda Gov’t issues warning as slum upgrade starts

As the Government moves to implement the National Slum Upgrading programme, a strong warning has been issued to prevent resistance that may be staged by communities inhabiting areas where modern buildings are going to erected.

Some of the houses in Kireka to be upgraded into better and modern housing units.PHOTO: Wilfred Sanya

The urban development minister Daudi Migereko explained that the housing programme is meant to uplift the standards of living for the residents occupying areas that are undeveloped and disorganised.

“This programme intends to transform the lives of our people living in slums, we don’t want to meet any public resistance as we move to kick-start this national development initiative,” he said.

He was addressing a meeting his ministry organised in conjunction with National Housing and Construction Company to brief the local leadership of Kira Town Council about the project. The project will see the construction of 3,000 units to replace dilapidated housing establishments in the area overlooking Mbuya.

“We need to be aware that this is a nation-wide strategy, should we face resistance here, we will not hesitate to shift the initiative to other areas,” Migereko warned.

The Government is implementing the programme under a Public Private Partnership arrangement to have the housing costs shared so that the final cost of the units are affordable to the residents. A commitment was made such that sitting tenants are the ones to be considered first after the units are ready for occupancy.

For the Kireka development, the Government is partnering with National Housing where the former will provide infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity and the company will undertake construction and marketing.

According to the National Housing chairperson Ambassador Agnes Kakibbala, about 50 out of 320 acres will be earmarked for low income earners to cater for 1,000 affordable units and the rest will are planned for a mix of the middle and high income groups, commercial, educational and recreational areas.

The units will be acquired through mortgage financing. National Housing signed a joint venture with Housing Finance Bank to facilitate the process.

By David Ssempijja, The New Vision

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