Kalungu joins push for Masaka city status

Infrastructure. Edward Avenue is one of the busy streets in Masaka Town. Photo by Malik Fahad Jjingo

What you need to know:

  • Three years ago, Cabinet excluded Masaka on the list of municipalities to attain the status over failure to meet certain standards.
  • Mr Kayemba said they are now embarking on raising a population of at least 350,000 to achieve the required city status.

Masaka. The push for a city status by Masaka Municipality authorities has gained momentum as more local leaders in neighbouring districts support the proposal to have their areas annexed to the municipality.
Leaders in Kalungu Rural Sub-county say they will have a bigger resource envelope if they join Masaka.
Councillors in the area have already passed a resolution supporting the annexation of the sub-county to Masaka Municipality.
Kalungu, which has a population of 183,232 people, became a district after it was carved out of Masaka in 2010.

Mr Joseph Leo Kizito, the LC3 chairperson of Kalungu Rural, said a city status comes with many opportunities.
“We have benefited almost nothing in the eight years we have been part of Kalungu. We believe returning to the mother district [Masaka] will be of benefit in terms of infrastructure like roads, especially at this time when they are pushing for a city status,” Mr Kizito said on Monday.
Leaders in Masaka Municipality have already petitioned the central government to endorse the proposal.

The municipality mayor, Mr Godfrey Kayemba, said the resolution by local leaders in Kalungu is a big boost.
“Their decision is welcome and if the municipal council accepts it, they will be considered to become part of Masaka,” Mr Kayemba said.
According to the Masaka Town expansion plan, four more parishes will be annexed to the municipality.
These include Kitengeesa and Ssamariya parishes in Buwunga Sub-county, Kirimya in Kabonera, Kalagala in Mukungwe and some parts of Kingo in Lwengo District.

Mr Kayemba said they are now embarking on raising a population of at least 350,000 to achieve the required city status. The district chairperson, Mr Jude Mbabaali, said when Masaka Town is elevated to city status, residents will get better services.
“We are happy that Kalungu has also accepted to annex some parts of the district to Masaka, that is the support we want if we are to achieve our goal (of attaining city status),” Mr Mbabaali, also the also the chairperson of district leaders in the greater Masaka region, said.
The conditions to qualify for a city status include well-developed structural and physical plans, proper garbage and waste management, development plans, competency in management of public funds, good roads, enough water sources and capacity to meet the cost of delivering required services for the population, among others.

Since 2006, there has been demands by area leaders to have Masaka Town accorded a city status.
Three years ago, Cabinet excluded Masaka on the list of municipalities to attain the status over failure to meet certain standards.
Those to be granted city status include Jinja, Mbarara, Fort Portal, Gulu, Mbale and Arua.