African cities discuss slum development
KAMPALA.
City authorities across sub-Saharan Africa convened yesterday in Kampala to discuss biting challenges of limited funding, rapid urbanisation and development of slums.
Participants from over 17 countries met during a three-day maiden East and Central African Cities Development Forum in Africa organised by Kampala City Authority (KCCA) under the theme: “Building inclusive growth and livability cities”.
“Instead of importing technocrats from developed countries, we shall be training, sharing skills and experiences amongst ourselves on new improved strategic planning at a relatively lower cost,” Ms Jennifer Musisi the KCCA executive director, said during the meeting.
Service delivery in KCCA, Ms Musisi, said is impeded by very low funding yet for it to ensure effective service delivery “we need a lot of money which I cannot even estimate.” The meeting agreed to join efforts to effectively deliver services to city dwellers in form of improved roads and drainages.
The forum, according to Mr Fred Nankuyu, the director of planning and development of Zombo City Council in Malawi, will help authorities to learn from each other.
“Our budget shortfall is about 50 per cent yet we do not receive any funds from the central government. We have to depend on resources from property taxes that we collect,” he said.
City challenges
In Dakar, the Senegal capital city, according to Ms Gissala Talla, the president of Senegalese Federation, is faced with rampant land evictions because people do not own land.
But beyond land ownership wrangles, she said, is the problem of poor housing structure, which government says are not fit to be in the city.
This, she said is causing protests and confrontation.
