Prime
Kamuli unveils Shs29b plan for market, roads
Kamuli Municipality main roundabout road. PHOTO | SAM CALEB OPIO
What you need to know:
- Market. The market will have 202 lockups, 1,056 stalls and accommodate 1,434 vendors. Later it will accommodate 1,700 vendors.
Authorities in Kamuli District have unveiled a Shs29b urban infrastructure development plan that will see the new municipality get a modern market.
Mr John Mbadhwe of Arch Design Limited Architects and Engineers (contractor) on Tuesday revealed that the projects are funded by the World Bank under the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) programme.
Mr Mbadhwe said priority will be on the Kamuli Central Market and Industrial, Byaino, Babhubai, Mugolo and Abdala Saleh roads.
“In line with the municipal authorities’ resolutions and priorities, the modern market will be located at the existing football field within the central business district and will sit on 4.36 acres of land,” Mr Mbadhwe said.
According to the design, the market has a courtyard concept designed in quadrants and related activities placed close to each other to blend into urban fabric shopping mall appearance to compete with adjacent commercial buildings.
“The municipal council resolved to change the land use from recreation facility to the business market to support the residents in household income generation and ease business,” Mr Mbadhwe said.
The Shs24b market will have up to 202 lockups, 1,056 stalls and accommodate 1,434 vendors, according to the contractor.
Kamuli, which started out as a town board in the 1930s, was elevated to a town council in 1974 and later to a municipality in 2015.
It started with an area of 3.2sqkms and now the municipality covers 102.6sqkms; 15.7sqkms tarmacked after annexing six new rural wards of Busota, Kamuli Namwendwa, Kamuli-Sabawali, Buwanume, Nankulyaku and Namisambya II.
Mr Jacob Kaleebi, the senior municipal physical planner, made assurances that Kamuli will become a model municipality.
“Our driving philosophy, as people of Kamuli, is that there is no tomorrow if you haven’t planned for it today. We have, therefore, incubated new ideas, vision and are committed to constructive change flavoured with creativity and innovation,” he said.
Among the innovations in the project are the garbage segregation designated zones and press tabs to optimise water usage, which will be free of charge through rain water harvested supply.
The two-storied market will have financial institutions, pharmacies, utility services and value-addition facilities.
Mr Ronald Baganzi, the Kamuli Town Clerk, said the new infrastructure development will boost household incomes and wealth creation.
Mr Baganzi said they had a win-win situation with the sitting tenants, who will be given priority in the new facility and asked the residents to own the project, adding that the municipality is fast growing.
“Already, the satellite towns of Nakiwulo, Nankulyaku, Buwudha and Busota are having accelerated developments specialised in tailoring and social activities, all relating to their location,” he said.
