New physical planners' leadership list priorities

The Society of Professional Physical Planners of Uganda (SPPPU) has a new leadership which has promised “to ensure that the majority of its professions are absorbed into public service to ensure proper development of the country.”

The new leadership came in through an April 26, 2024 election organised by the Society's interim council, which was put in place by government in June 2023 after the enactment of the Physical Planners' Registration Act, 2023.

Charles Nampendho won the election to head the nine-member council for the next three years after obtaining 132 votes, defeating his rival Prof John Barugahare who obtained 79 votes.

Speaking to Monitor after the election, Nampendho highlighted that his first priority will focus on ensuring that the body can have access to funds, emphasizing that “government's reluctance in funding physical planning activities has led to the development of slums, encroachment on wetlands and the current city and rural floods which have continued to ravage lives and property, among others.”

"There is inadequate funding and I feel it should be this body [SPPPU] to champion and advise the government to continue putting money in physical planning, and this will be top on our agenda," Nampendho said.

"The other issue, physical planners have suffered is isolation and marginalization in local governments and cities. We need to ensure that the departments of planning are empowered," he added.

Brian Odella, who chaired the Interim council, reiterated that the physical planners' new leadership is a milestone in ensuring that their challenges are echoed to the relevant agencies.

He also expressed optimism that the new leadership will grow the Society’s membership from the current 414 registered members.

"The role of this committee is to ensure that physical planners are deployed, because we have had scenarios where quarks have been masquerading as physical planners. So, the committee will be able to weed out such cases," Odella remarked on Friday.

The nine members of the new council include Charles Nampendho (president), Moses Ogutu (secretary), Martin Kigozi (treasurer) and four members Hafisa Namuli, Stella Mudondo, Polycap Ejotu and Eric Negosha.

According to the Physical Planners' Registration Act, 2023, the director of physical planning at the ministry of lands and the chairperson of the National Physical Planning Board, are required to join the council as ex-officials.