Namutumba begins 10-year plan to modify old buildings

This comes after authorities, who developed the 2007 plan did not guide residents on the type of houses to be constructed and also did not plan for low, medium and highly populated areas.

Mr Waiswa Mukama, a resident, said the new plan should focus on underdeveloped places.

“We have not heard them say they will demolish schools which were built in wetlands. All we want is a fair judgment when it comes to the demolition of poorly-built houses in town,” he said.

Mr Ivan Makembo, another resident, at the weekend said: “Demolishing houses is not the solution; but rather, let authorities plan and gazette places for Mayor’s gardens and other industrial hubs among others, instead of demolishing our houses.” 

 The plan comes after the old one, which was done in 2007 by a Kenyan consultancy firm, expired in 2017. 

The Namutumba Town Council chairperson, Mr Godfrey Mwembe, said the Kenyan consultant did not plan well.

 “There was need to have a new detailed plan for the next 10 years which, if completed, we are optimistic will gazette places for a public cemetery which is lacking,” he said.

 Mr Amari Mwanja, the chairperson Kangulumo Zone A, warned of kickbacks from the authorities and failure to come up with a detailed plan.

“We urge planners not to become money-minded while doing their job,” he said.

Mr Thomas Naigubya, a physical planner from Spatial Consultants, said it would take them ‘a few months’ to complete the plan, which will then be handed over to the Ministry of Housing approval.

 “The new plan is going to be detailed and as we work on it, we are also revise the old plan to see whether it was well-implemented,” Mr Naigubya said, adding that during the implementation process, they would limit demolition of houses because of implications.

 “....Instead [we shall] negotiate with land developers on the badly-built houses to have them remodelled and modified. The plan is going to favour everyone because we shall involve locals in the [planning] process,” he said.

 “This is not our first time to plan for urban centres. The Namutumba plan is going to be better than that one we did in Iganga; so we urge locals to work with us,” Mr Naigubya added.

 Mr Samuel Tigaza, the Namutumba Town Council physical planner, said his office has started marking houses which were badly set up.

 “I urge the owners of such houses to seek guidance from the office of physical planner before they start construction,” he advised. 

 Mr Peter Dyogo, an environmentalist from Spatial Data Consultants and planner, said the plan seeks to address areas of no settlement such as wetlands and forest areas.

 “People had started settling in wetlands, which is not allowed. Our plan will identify places of wetlands and reserve them for other purposes but not settlement,” he said.

 Mr Daniel Kaddu, a physical planner from the Ministry of Housing, said their role is to supervise and monitor the planning process, and offer technical guidance to avoid mistakes.

 Mr Kaddu also dispelled concerns that they had come to grab residents’ land.

 “We do not want people to run away from town because the new plan is not favouring them. We want a plan which is pro-people based on their needs in communities,” he said.

 He added: “If you solicit for kickbacks from people, the planning process will not be successful and as a ministry, we shall take action against cases of corruption. We need value for money.” 

 Mr Kaddu  also urged private developers to access building plans from the district planner at an affordable price to avoid putting up structures which do not match the new plan.

 Mr Samuel Kabakubya, the Namutumba Town Clerk, said people with site plans will be allowed to construct their houses and plots which are not 50 by100 feet are not allowed t