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Minister Kyofatogabye Decries Land Wrangles, Calls for Bold Action on Urban Infrastructure

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Minister Kyofatogabye Decries Land Wrangles, Calls for Bold Action on Urban Infrastructure
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The State Minister for Kampala Capital City Authority and Metropolitan Affairs, Kyofatogabye Kabuye, has exposed the thorny land challenges hampering infrastructure development in Kampala and its metropolitan areas.

Speaking candidly, the Minister revealed the dire impact of Uganda’s land tenure system on road expansion and drainage projects, calling on the government to take decisive action to overcome these impediments.

"The land question is the biggest impediment to our road projects. I raised this issue before, and I was told, 'Kyofa, if you want to lose an election, speak about this.'

But enough is enough. If we need a road, let’s break whatever is in the way and build it—come what may," the Minister declared.

Minister Kyofatogabye explained that Kampala's road designs are limited to existing corridors due to the prohibitive costs of land compensation.

He noted that while new urban road standards require walkways, streetlights, drainage, and service ducts, these elements are often squeezed into inadequate spaces, resulting in compromised infrastructure.

“We aren’t constructing new roads; we’re only upgrading existing corridors. Unfortunately, even these corridors are too narrow. To meet modern standards, we need an additional 1.5 meters on either side, but the land tenure system forces us to stick to what we have,” he explained.

Highlighting the challenges, the minister narrated an incident in Bugolobi, where a drainage project has stalled due to a developer demanding shs 3 billion in compensation to remove a wall on land leased from KCCA. The wall is blocking water from connecting to the Nakivubo channel, posing a risk of flooding nearby properties.

“This is public land, KCCA land! I told the man, if you don’t allow this water to flow, it will destroy your property. He responded by calling me a villager and demanding money. How do we operate under such conditions?” Kyofatogabye lamented.

He urged the government to prioritise public interest over private gain, advocating for bold measures to address these bottlenecks.

“This business of appealing and kneeling must stop. Government must wake up and say, ‘Enough is enough.’ Infrastructure is for the public good, and we cannot afford to let a few individuals derail progress,” he asserted.

As Kampala grapples with urbanisation, such challenges highlight the need for comprehensive reforms in land management and infrastructure planning.

The Minister’s revelations underscore the delicate balance between private property rights and the public need for sustainable urban development.

With bold leadership, Minister Kyofatogabye believes that Uganda can overcome these hurdles and lay the groundwork for a modern, functional city that benefits all its citizens.

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