Poor enforcement of physical plans affecting land use

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Poor enforcement of physical development plans in Uganda has affected land use across the country.

Sam Mukasa Kintu, a professional physical planner and founder Head of the Physical Planning Department at Kampala City Council now Directorate of Physical Planning of Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA says Uganda has good physical plans but lack implementation and enforcement.

For instance, he says laws like the National Physical Planning Act clearly stipulate how developments can be carried out. The law also empowers local governments to determine and guide on Land use.

The Act recognises the role of the National Environment Management Authority-NEMA to ensure that an environmental impact assessment is done before developments are carried out in sensitive areas like wetlands such that the environmental concerns including recovery and protection are taken into consideration in case the developments are okayed.

Despite the existence of such plans, there still is poor land use characterized by illegal development in wetlands, forest reserves, congestion among others.

Mukasa Kintu says that government should strengthen enforcement to see that physical plans are respected and land use is properly managed.

Amanda Ngabirano, a professional physical planner and lecturer at Makerere University says that government should strictly enforce physical planning guidelines for effective land use.

Ngabirano says individualism is one of the challenges that have affected enforcement.  She says both the poor and the rich for personal benefits have made developments in wetlands ignoring the guidelines provided for in the different laws that deal with land use in the country.

Ngabirano adds that government should also clearly define land use for instance in terms of residential areas and business areas, industrial areas among others and enforce that plan effectively. She says zoning is a good practice, especially in Urban Planning.

The Minister of State for Housing Isaac Musumba says admits that there has been a gap in enforcement. He, however, says that the newly passed Urban Planning Act will improve enforcement and implementation of Physical Plans.

The Act, for instance, empowers any Ugandan to file a complaint when they realise that land is being misused. For instance, one would report anyone operating in a wetland to the Urban Planning board established under the same Act. He adds that the law also provides for direct funding of the board and this he says will improve monitoring and handling of complaints.

Musumba also says that government will introduce Urban police to deal with Urban Physical Planning issues in Urban Center.

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