KCCA, France sign Shs5.6b deal to promote urban farming
A farmer scouts for parasites on her cherry tomato plants in her backyard garden recently. Photo / George Katongole
What you need to know:
- The Strasbourg City representative, Ms Sandrine Millet, said the partnership between the two cities began in 2018 and has materialised in a project that reflects the local and global challenges faced by both urban authorities.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has signed a partnership with Strasbourg City in France to foster development through promotion of urban farming and education.
The partnership is under a three-year project dubbed ‘Building sustainable learning and inclusive cities in Kampala and Strasbourg.’
Speaking at the launch of the project in Kampala yesterday, the Executive Director of KCCA, Dr Dorothy Kisaka, said the French Development Agency has given them a grant worth €1.5m (about Shs5.6b) to implement the project.
She said the project will help to mitigate climate change, and conservation of biodiversity through tree planting and environmental conservation.
“Through this project, we will also teach people in Kampala about urban farming and ensure they practice backyard gardening for food security purposes and to ensure a balanced diet for their children,” Dr Kisaka observed.
She said the project will also promote quality education through exchange visits by pupils and teachers in both countries.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago welcomed the idea of managing green spaces, saying the air in the city is becoming toxic due to destruction of trees.
“You can turn around 360 degrees and you fail to see a tree, and that is disastrous,” he said.
The Lord Mayor said the project will help them realise the city’s transformation agenda and more specifically, the sustainability ambitions.
Mr Lukwago asked the central government to speed up the passing of KCCA ordinances, such as the Green Infrastructure Ordinance.
“That is the reason we enacted the Green Infrastructure Ordinance, which is still with the central government. As the law requires, it has to be ratified by the Attorney General and we are doing our best that it is first tracked so that we gazette it and have it implemented,” he said.
The Strasbourg City representative, Ms Sandrine Millet, said the partnership between the two cities began in 2018 and has materialised in a project that reflects the local and global challenges faced by both urban authorities.
She said the project will strengthen the educational and extracurricular activities of the children.
“Encourage schools in their environmental initiatives to create green spaces and vegetable gardens,” Ms Millet said.
