Indian community to build low cost housing estate

Site. The construction site in Bukoto which has been fenced off . The Indian community intends to construct a low cost housing estate with high quality social services in health, education and housing, among others. PHOTO BY STEPHEN OTAGE

Kampala. The Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple and the Shri Kutch Leva Patel Samaj Indian community in Kampala have secured 27 acres of land to construct a low cost model village in Bukoto, Kampala.
Speaking during their local event on Saturday to celebrate the India National Day which coincides with the NRM liberation day on January 26, Mr Manish Siryaz, the association vice chairperson, said together with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and Watoto Church, they have agreed to construct a low cost model housing estate in Bukoto, a Kampala suburb.
He said other Kampala slums could learn from the model village and also build organised settlement.
“We are going to build a cheap but high quality kindergarten, primary and secondary school, a temple, health centre and apartments, which will be available to the local community for them to learn that irrespective of religion, caste or tribe, it is possible to have such high quality facilities cheaply,” he said.
“We want Ugandan children to have access to world class education cheaply so that they compete favourably with the children in the world. We are also helping government to upgrade health centres around Kampala,” he said, adding that this is the trend in Kenya, Tanzania, Australia and India.
Mr Siryaz said they have a budget of between Shs55 billion and Shs74 billion ($15m and $20m) fully financed by the Indian business community to facilitate the implementation.
“We have purchased the land ourselves. We are funding everything ourselves and we have not asked government for any favours such as tax waivers or any concessions. We want to show Ugandans that it is possible,” he said.

Hospitality
According to Mr Ramesh Halai, a volunteer in the association, this is a corporate social responsibility project that the Indian community in Kampala has undertaken to thank the citizens for their hospitality.
“Most people think that when Indians come to Uganda, they repatriate profits back home but they do not know that we reinvest the money here and before you know it, we become successful people,” he said.
Mr Ramesh said previously, the association has been conducting blood donation camps and other charitable activities around the country to appreciate the people in Ugandan.
The 27-acre land where the construction will take place is situated in Frobel near Watoto Kampala North church in Bukoto.