KCCA UNRA AND UGANDA POLICE INTENSIFY SMART CITY CAMPAIGN

The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), together with the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) have conducted a joint operation to ensure city road reserves and green spaces are clear of encroachers and illegal activities.

On August 11, the team comprising of KCCA and UNRA physical planners, environmental officers, engineers, surveyors, and the Uganda Police began the operation with the tour of the Kampala Northern bypass.

Later the team visited the different markets, taxi parks and stages along the route.

The operation focused on ascertaining the situation of the road reserves, the extent of encroachment, available space for greening, condition of the road tarmac, walkways and drainages, illegal stages and activities on the road among others.

This is part of the Kampala Smart City agenda that aims at transforming Kampala into a smart, sustainable and livable city.

Ville Agaba the physical planner for Kawempe Division who headed the operation noted that this activity follows a number of activities and engagements that have happened before in line with the smart city campaign.

“We want a clean city, where people are safe to walk on the roads, where our mothers, fathers and all people are working in safe places like gazetted markets, where taxis and boda bodas are operating in designated parks and stages. We don’t want a congested city, we want Kampala to be clean, green and organized,” Agaba said.

“As we moved through, we realized some people have encroached on the road reserves, boda bodas and taxis have created a number of illegal stages which have congested our roads and blocked pedestrian walkways. In Kalerwe market some vendors have also setup stalls in the road reserves, we are engaging all these to comply so that we move smoothly to implement the smart city agenda” Agaba said.

UNRA’s project engineer Jude Kyobe noted that all road reserves had been secured after UNRA had compensated all parties affected and acquired right of way.

As the team moved some people who were found operating in road reserves and green spaces were cautioned and ordered to vacate.

KCCA has been greening the city over the years but the efforts go to waste because of some of the errant citizens that have made it a habit to destroy this green.

This was evidenced in some parts of the city especially on the roundabouts.

At Busega roundabout, four tow car drivers were arrested for turning the green space into a garage and parking lot and will be arraigned before court.

The KCCA Physical planner noted that this was done to serve as a warning to all those destroying the city greenery.

The operation will be followed by an enforcement exercise and implementation of the recommendations of this exercise.

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