Prime
Posh Muyenga Tank Hill in danger of slope failure
BARELY HANGING: A mansion whose foundation has been exposed because of unplanned excavation in Muyenga. Below it is a new building being erected. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA.
Kampala
It’s coined rather hilariously as “the rich man’s slum”, a term that refers to the composure of the leafy suburb that is Muyenga. Overlooking Lake Victoria on one side and Kampala on the other, the view from Muyenga hill is quite impressive. It’s this scenery among other factors that for years has led to the scramble for land where eye-catching residences that are not only imposing but indeed pricey are erected.
But Muyenga and its pricey properties could be facing a catastrophe that money cannot stem. According to an NTV report recently, Muyenga Tank Hill Zone in an area commonly known as Monkey Zone, toppling was experienced and some residents are now worried.
Toppling is a situation where a mass of earth, debris or rock rotates outwards from a steep slope. This kind of movement can subsequently cause the mass to fall or slide. In the case of Muyenga, toppling could lead to houses collapsing on each other.
According to the Local Council I Chairman, Muyenga Hill Zone, Yassin Mugerwa, what happened last Saturday is the result of what has dogged Muyenga ever since development visited the area.
Mr Mugerwa has lived in Muyenga for the last 15 years but for a decade, he has witnessed changes that he believes if not rectified soon would lead to a major disaster that will have catastrophic consequences.
“Muyenga is a classic example of poor urban development experienced in Kampala City and its suburbs,’ he said.
He said the water drainage system is lacking, water flows on roads.
“The roads themselves are narrow and the houses are built with clear evidence that they either had fraudulent planning clearance from Kampala City Council or no planning clearance at all. It’s just a total mess,” Mr Mugerwa said.
Rare confusion
The same is echoed by the Honorary Consult of Pakistan and prominent businessman, Mr Boney Katatumba a resident of the hill who claims he has travelled to over 200 cities worldwide but Muyenga stands out as the worst-planned place he has been too, “it’s horrible,” he says.
For a neighbourhood that is known for its affluent owners, one would expect a high level of residential planning but a simple cruise through the hill via Sekidde Zone, reveals pot-holed roads some of which are now not accessible due to the unplanned construction of houses and dangerous land excavations .
Senior Presidential Advisor John Nagenda is another resident who is worried that his residence could be toppled over by a neighbour’s rising property.
“I’m not an engineer but what is happening at Muyenga with careless land excavations meant for construction of houses affecting the foundation of the soil, it’s quite likely that we could see some shifting of the hill which could cause houses toppling against each other,” he said.
He also heaped blame on KCC “who seem not to know their job.”
In 2003, residents of Muyenga through a council meeting requested KCC to survey the area.
The request was in a letter to the Chief Town Planner Charles Kyamanywa, a copy of which Saturday Monitor has seen.
The idea of the residents’ letter was to have KCC plan out Muyenga for the future to avoid un authorised construction.
A reply from Mr Kyamanywa came two years later authorising his staff to visit the area.
But according to Mr Mugerwa, no one from KCC has ever showed up.
“Can you imagine since we received the reply, to this day, no one from KCC has ever come here? Mr Mugerwa asked.
However, according to Mr Kyamanywa, KCC has been hampered in its attempts to help Muyenga residents simply by the nature of land ownership there. “The land there is mailo land and this has created problems for us. The plots are not regular and no one wants to cede away land to a public service. Even if you want to repair a road, a person will tell you not to touch it because the road runs in their land. Now what has KCC have to do? Mr Kyamanywas asked.
He claims that even if the constitution covers KCC, some of the owners are powerful people.
“Yes the law allows us to do our job irrespective of whether a road runs in one’s land. But practically, things are very different,” he says.
Such problems cause fears that the unthinkable can be visited upon the hitherto enviable Muyenga Hill.
Catastrophe in waiting?
According to Ms Gorette Kitutu an official of the National environment Management Authority, the worst that can happen to Muyenga Hill is called slope failing.
This is where material it could be trees, houses- constantly moving down slope in response to gravity. At times movement is slow and undetectable and could take many years, or it can be devastatingly rapid and apparent within minutes.
This slope failing is, according to Ms Kitutu causing problems.
“This slope failing leads to houses toppling each other and in Muyenga there are signs that this is happening.
She says in Sekidde Zone, there are pit latrines and even houses that are about to topple over. We can’t know when but they will eventually topple over,” she said.
Muhenga Hill also houses water tanks containing an estimated 4 million litres of water at any given day. Tanks supply water to most parts of the city and its surroundings. With that amount of water stored at the top of the hill if there was any slope failing the city would be in a total mess.
“The weight of a hill depends on its strength and Muyenga Hill because of its soil composure is weak.
Ms Kitutu says the hill might fail to take the number of houses on it. “One day the problem will lead to the hill giving way and the possibility of the water tanks toppling over is real,” Ms Kitutu said.
What next for residents?
“They will have to evacuate so that we ascertain exactly what the hill can take,” Ms Kitutu said adding: If they fail to do so, their evacuation could come after the catastrophe. It will hit maybe not now but surely in a number of years to come.”
