Sprouting shopping malls in suburbs reduce congestion
Metroplex Shopping Mall in Nalya has made it easier for residents by avoiding the congestion in the city centre. Other shopping centres include Quality Shopping Village in Namugongo, Ovino Market in Kisenyi and the Namanve Industrial Complex. PHOTO BY FAISWAL KASIRYE.
What you need to know:
Private developers say they want a traffic-free city so that people can stay wherever they are without going to Kampala.
Kampala
Mr Frank Sserwanga, a resident of Ntinda, a city suburb, says he spends about two months without going to the city centre. Why? “We have five banks, several night clubs and recreation centres, health facilities and I run a business here,” he says.
Like Mr Sserwanga, many residents living in the various Kampala suburbs are increasing staying away from the Central Business District unless if they work there.
While many offices and space are still located in the city centre, shopping malls and recreation centres are fast moving to the suburbs. “In future, we would like to have a traffic-free city so that people can stay wherever they are and do the shopping. They can have office space without coming to Kampala,” Mr Miraj Barot, the joint managing director at Tirupati Development, said.
Tirupati is the brain behind Mazima Mall in Kabalagala, Metropolex Complex in Nalya, Quality Shopping Village in Namugongo, Ovino Market in Kisenyi and the Namanve Industrial Complex whose work is in the pipeline. “We are aiming to put many people in a one working environment but we also want to reduce pressure on the city,” Mr Barot said.
Other developers include Buganda Kingdom which has Muganzilwazza Complex and individual developers such as John Sebalamu, owner of Freedom City Shopping Mall in Najjanankumbi.
Earlier, there was a plan to expand the boundaries of Kampala City to include Mukono, Wakiso and Mpigi districts under the KCCA Act, which called for the formulation of the metropolitan authority to enforce planning.
However, since the law became operational in March last year, members of Metropolitan Physical Planning Authority (MPPA) have not been appointed by all the ministers that have been in-charge of Kampala, something that has seen unplanned settlements spring up in many areas in the Kampala metropolis.
MPPA is charged with developing the physical development plan for the metropolitan area, handle planning issues in Kampala and neighbouring districts of Mukono, Mpigi and Wakiso.
By press time, we had not yet got a comment from the city authorities over the matter as they could not answer nor return our repeated calls. is, therefore, means that the developers are not using any policy for development which could in future turn to be a problem in disorganised settlements.
