By Leonard Kamugisha Akida
KAMPALA
Uganda’s opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has opposed a proposal to develop two acres of Kampala’s Constitutional Square into a solar-powered hotel and shopping mall, saying the project would deprive the city of one of its few remaining public open spaces.
FDC Vice Chairman for the Western Region, Franko Robert Centenary, said the proposal was misguided and should be rejected.
He was speaking on Monday during the party’s weekly press briefing at its headquarters in Najjanankumbi, Kampala.
Centenary said Constitutional Square was public land held in trust for Ugandans and could not be transferred to a private developer through correspondence with the President.
President Yoweri Museveni asked Kampala Minister Minsa Kabanda in a letter dated 18 August to study a proposal by businessman Hajj Hassan Bulwadda to develop the site into an “eco-friendly” commercial complex comprising a hotel, shopping mall and other facilities.
The President directed the minister to consult Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) before reporting back to him.
Centenary argued that Kampala needed more public and green spaces rather than additional commercial developments.
“Kampala does not need another private mall,” he said, citing congestion, flooding and the limited green cover in the city centre.
He also questioned the environmental justification for the project, arguing that solar panels could instead be installed on rooftops of existing buildings without taking over public land.
“Eco-friendly does not mean grabbing a green space,” he said.
Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Nsubuga Balimwezo has separately opposed the proposal, asking Attorney General Sam Mayanja to advise Cabinet against approving the redevelopment.
Balimwezo said Constitutional Square was established in 1903 as Government Square and later became a public park. It was renamed Constitutional Square in 1995 following the promulgation of Uganda’s Constitution.
He cited Article 237 of the Constitution and the KCCA Act, arguing that the land is held in trust for the public.
Balimwezo also said a previous attempt to commercialise the site in 2001-2002 was blocked by then Local Government Minister Bidandi Ssali.
The Kampala Minister has, however, said she had not received a copy of Balimwezo’s letter and argued that the Lord Mayor and other stakeholders should have first consulted her.
The debate comes as authorities seek ways to decongest Kampala, with opponents warning that another major commercial complex in the city centre could attract more traffic.
