How are 9 municipalities prepared for city status?

Fort Portal tourism city
A fortnight ago, Kabarole District Council approved the proposed Fort Portal tourism city after resolving to annex other lower administrative units as it gears up for the long awaited city status.
Parts of the district annexed to the proposed tourism city include Karago Town Council and Ibaale Parish from Busoro and Karambi sub-counties.

Others include Kiko, Mugusu and Kasenda town councils and Kasenda, Ruteete, Mugusu and Karagura sub-counties. These are endowed with tourism sites such as crater lakes.
The proposed city will have two divisions; one will cover the present East and South divisions, Ibaale Parish, Rubigo Parish and Karambi Sub-county, while the other will cover the present West Division, Karago Town Council, Bukuuku Sub-county and Butebe Parish.
Currently, Fort Portal has West, East and South divisions, covering about 40 square kilometers against the required 120 square kilometers, according to the mayor, the Rev Kintu Muhanga. The 2014 national census put the town population at 54,275.

The urban authority in 2016 launched a campaign of planting one million trees with the aim of creating a forest city by 2025.

The Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructural Development (USMID) project that is being implemented by 14 municipalities across the country saw Fort Portal Municipality take a share the fund in the first phase, which helped it build major roads and Mpanga Main Market.
According to the mayor, they are waiting for funds under USMID phase II, which will cover roads such as Rwengoma.

The district chairperson, Mr Richard Rwabuhinga, said the proposed tourism city will bring services closer to the people, increase budget allocation and the number of representatives in Parliament.
“The city status will provide market for the produce in the area as well as increase value addition since industrialisation will be promoted. The tourism city will promote the industrial linkage, tourism, the craft and hotel industries,” Mr Rwabuhinga added.
In Mbale Municipality, authorities say all is set for attainment of city status.
The proclamation comes after the district council approved two new municipal city divisions of Bungokho and Industrial City.
Bungokho Division comprises Northern Division, Nakaloke Town Council and the annexed neighbouring sub-counties of Bukonde, Nakaloke, Namabasa and Namanyonyi.

Industrial Division comprises Bugema-Nauyo Town Council and Bukasakya and Bungokho-Mutoto sub-counties.
The municipal spokesperson, Mr James Kutosi, said the town meets all requirements required to be upgraded to city status.
The town clerk, Mr Paul Batanda, added that the town currently has one of the best infrastructure networks in the country.
“The town is ready because the road network is perfect. We have installed security and traffic lights and have the required numbers [population]; so we deserve it,” he said.

However, Mr John Magomu, an opinion leader, said although they welcome the city, the town population is still small.
“According to the 2014 National Population and Housing Census, the population of Mbale Municipality is 96,190, which is less. But this issue of less population should not stop the government from granting us a city,” he said.
Mr Mutwalibi Zandya, the mayor, said when the town is upgraded to a city, it will enable them to receive more resources from the central government, which will improve service delivery.

Jinja’s readiness
In Jinja, both the district and the municipality leadership have unanimously agreed to turn the municipality and some parts of the district into a city status.
Previously, some leaders were supporting turning the entire district into a city while others only wanted the municipality and part of the nearby town councils and sub-counties, which include Bugembe, Kakira, Busedde Mafubira and Budondo.
However, in a meeting held in Kampala last Wednesday chaired by Minister of Local Government Tom Butime, Jinja District and municipality leaders unanimously agreed to only expand the boundaries of the municipality.

“The city will be made up of the current municipality plus Bugembe Town Council, and Mafubira and Budondo sub-counties, giving the city of Jinja a population of 250,000 people and a land area of about 150 square kilometres,” Jinja Municipality mayor Majid Batambuze said.
“The rest of the district will have town councils of Buwenge, Kakira and the sub-counties of Busedde, Butagaya and Buyengo,” he added.
Mr Batambuze said Jinja city will have two divisions of Jinja South and Jinja North.

He added: “Jinja South will be the existing municipality and Jinja North will be the new addition. According to a Cabinet decision, every city that will be created shall have a woman Member of Parliament in addition to the one for the district.”
Although Entebbe is also lined up to become a city, leaders in the mother district of Wakiso led by the chairperson, Mr Matia Lwanga Bwanika, insist that the entire district should be elevated to city status as earlier requested.
Their argument is that they have already put in place all requirements to become a city, including developing a master physical plan, which cost the district Shs1b.

Entebbe Mayor Vincent De Paul Kayanja, said elevating Entebbe to a city is a welcome idea since the town once enjoyed such status.
“Entebbe was the first capital city of Uganda and restoring that status is a welcome idea,” he said, adding: “But our appeal to government is to at least let Entebbe have three divisions because if they remain two, they will be too big to manage.”
Entebbe is host to many national facilities such as Entebbe International Airport, State House, National Botanical Gardens, Wildlife Education Centre, Uganda Virus Research Institute, National Research Organisation, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Survey and Mapping, Fisheries Training Institute and UPDF Air Force headquarters.

Gulu’s efforts
Gulu Municipality has also embarked on improving key infrastructure in preparation for city status.
According to Gulu Municipal engineer Terrence Odonga, the road network has improved ever since they started benefiting from the USMID initiative five years ago.

At least 17kms of roads have been constructed with funds amounting to Shs76.6b received under USMID.
“We have also been able to install 1,053 lighting stands within the municipality, making it one of the most lit towns within the region,” he said. Ever since the guns fell silent in 2007, Gulu Town has registered rapid growth in terms of infrastructure development with numerous classy hotels and recreational facilities sprouting, giving a boost to the hospitality industry.
For example in Pece Division alone, there are 60 facilities offering accommodation services, according to Mr Kelly Komakech, the division chairperson.

Mbarara
In Mbarara, leaders have in the last nine years been aggressively lobbying central government for a city status.
Turning Mbarara Town into a city became a cliché for most people seeking political offices in the municipality in 2011 and 2016 elections. These promised voters that they would successfully lobby for city status and bring many jobs and other opportunities.

Speaking at the national function for people with disabilities on August 29, 2010, in Kamukuzi Division, Mbarara, Mr Museveni told local leaders who were agitating for a city status that there was no shortcut to being granted a city, advising that the right criteria would be followed.
He said Mbarara must first attain a population of 300,000 residents, which Kampala had when it was made a city in 1962.

“Do you have that population? Let us get the numbers. You will have to show me the statistics. What I don’t want is to supply air to become a city when it is a town,” he said.

Mbarara then had less than 100,000 residents and three divisions of Kakoba, Kamukuzi and Nyamitanga. The leaders have since courted the neighbouring Kakiika, Masha, Birere, Nyakayojo, Bubaare and Biharwe sub-counties to be part of the municipality. Kakiika, Biharwe and Nyakayojo were finally incorporated into the municipality in 2015 to boost the population and have more land for city development. As a result, there are now six divisions, a population of 200,000 people and the town covers 496 square kilometres from 51.47 square kilometers.

The town is potential home of most of the 10 million people who live in the western region and majority are expected to pour in the urban area by 2025, looking for jobs and services.
Ten new shopping malls have been established, the biggest number of them from around 2013, according to the town clerk, Mr Edward Lwanga, and applications to erect more commercial buildings are overwhelming.
The town, which is a gateway to western parts of Uganda and Great Lakes region countries of Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, boasts of industries such as Pearl Dairies, GBK, Kazire, Ntake and Kidawalime bakeries and hotels such as Lake View Resort and Hotel Triangle.

Institutions of higher learning such as Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Bishop Stuart University and University of Saint Joseph have improved the image of the town, besides providing market for the various products and services in the town. The town, however, has challenge of inadequate water as the water levels in River Rwizi, the major source for the town, continue to reduce every year.
Cognisant of this, Mr Johnson Amayo, the deputy managing director in-charge of technical services at the National Water and Sewerage Corporation, said during the NRM manifesto implementation review workshop in Mbarara on March 5 that the President has already endorsed the acquisition of a loan to finance pumping of water from River Kagera in the neighbouring Isingiro District.

Mr Robert Kakyebezi, the current Mbarara mayor, said: “Population is no longer a major consideration. Instead, government is now looking at other factors such as strategic location and economic importance of the towns as major factors.”
“Towns such as Hoima are going to become a city because of oil; Moroto is under consideration because of minerals in that region while Mbarara is going to become a city because of its proximity to Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and DR Congo. So, there is no reason why Mbarara cannot become a city,” he said.

Arua’s preparedness

In Arua Municipality, leaders are banking on the infrastructure development to front their quest for Arua city.
Arua has largely been growing due to the cross-border business with South Sudan and DR Congo where they realise revenue from the trade.
But in the past 15 years, infrastructure development has been wanting, with several unplanned buildings sprouting in the town.
But with funding from USMID, the leaders have constructed roads and a taxi park, which have changed the face of the town. Under USMID programme, government has over the past five years transferred Shs25.7b to the municipality.

Two weeks ago, the municipality and district leaders agreed to merge the neighbouring sub-counties into a municipality.
According to the municipal mayor, Hajj Issa Kato, the ongoing construction of the Arua Main market, a new factory in Nsambia Cell, Awindiri Ward, a taxi park, the water and sewerage system and existence of Muni University boost their quest for city status.

“Our good roads such as Enyau, Idi Amin and Lemerijoa have boosted the free movement of goods and we are still working on other roads so that people can be able to move their goods from Arua to DR Congo safely,” he said.
The municipality has been in dire need of expansion, especially with the merger of the neighbouring Vurra, and Ayivu sub-counties, which is expected to raise its population to 300,000. The 2014 national census put the population in Arua Town at 62,657.

Ayivu County MP Bernard Atiku said: “All the seven sub-counties of Ayivu resolved to become part of Arua Municipality and there should be no hindrances to allow any physical development to take place in the sub-counties. People should not be worried about political boundaries because they are not yet altered by Parliament.”
Vurra County MP Gabriel Aridru, said: “We need to take Arua to another level because we still need more development of power, roads and health facilities. So, the city will enable us to have increased budget from the central government and creating more jobs in sectors that will be created.”

Compiled by Philip Wafula, Tausi Nakato, Felix Basiime, Alex Ashaba, Fred Wambede, Julius Ocungi, Alfred Tumushabe, Eve Muganga & Warom F. Okello