Nakasongola forms 13 member committee to track its city status

Nakasongola, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A thirteen-member committee has been formed to track the operationalization of Nakasongola city status.

In 2020, the Parliament passed a motion elevating Nakasongola town council to city status effective 1st July 2023. Nakasongola city status will cover areas of Nakasongola West and East divisions.

As result, the district has formed a 13-member committee led by Public Service Minister Muruuli Mukasa to track operationalization and mobilize communities to embrace the city status.

The committee will comprise of all the area Members of Parliament, district chairperson, Speaker, Prime Minister of Buruli kingdom, religious leaders, and representatives of Special Interest Groups among others.

Samuel Kigula, the LC 5 chairman of Nakasongola says that the committee will also make further consultations on the boundaries for proposed Nakasongola West and East divisions.

Kigula says that the committee will begin operations immediately after approval by the district council in December this year.

Samuel M.G Kasirye, the Buruli Chiefdom Prime Minister says that the committee will start consultations early because they want to avert conflicts like those arising from boundary and land disputes.

Kasirye adds that they also want to discuss where the headquarters of the city will be established and how to resolve an impasse on ownership of land which is currently being held by Buganda Kingdom.

Kasirye says that they also want to mobilize the local residents to prepare to apply for available jobs so that these are not grabbed by people from other districts.

Unlike other proposed cities, Nakasongola city is remote and its planning requires a different model where basic amenities must be put in place in order to attract dwellers.

According to the 2014 national population census and household survey, the current Nakasongola town had 10,289 residents.

In his circular dated 15th September 2021 addressed to accounting officers on the preparation of budget frameworks for 2022/23, Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development said that five cities which include Nakasongola, Kabale, Entebbe, Moroto and Wakiso will be operationalized but funded through the same modality as the current batch.

Ggoobi added that districts whose sub-counties have been annexed to cities will have their indicative planning figures adjusted downwards by equivalent allocations to those sub-counties that will be cut off.

The district chief accounting officer was directed to plan in line with the altered boundaries and adjust budgets accordingly.

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