Information Minister Justine Kasule Lumumba has emphasized the importance of Cabinet unity when responding to a question from one of the journalists who attended the media briefing, about the government’s position on the proposed redevelopment of Kampala’s City Square, a major commercial investment plan championed by city businessman Hajji Hassan Bulwadda.
The journalist sought clarification on Cabinet’s stance towards the proposed project, which seeks to transform the strategically located public space into a modern commercial hub featuring thousands of shops, hotel accommodation, public amenities and landscaped areas.
Lumumba’s response came during her Tuesday media briefing at the Uganda Media Centre, where she addressed questions on matters discussed by Cabinet during its Monday meeting at State House Entebbe.
Although the briefing also covered the government’s refugee policy, the question about City Square brought into focus the importance of a coordinated government position on major development proposals, particularly those attracting considerable public and political attention.
The proposed redevelopment gained prominence following President Yoweri Museveni’s directive for the relevant authorities to assess Bulwadda’s plan and report back. The directive placed the proposal within the government’s formal decision-making process, with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and other responsible officials expected to play their respective roles.
Bulwadda’s proposal envisages two major commercial buildings with approximately 3,500 shops combined, alongside 250 hotel suites and facilities intended to serve traders, visitors and other users of the city centre.
One of the proposed buildings, near the Supreme Court, would accommodate approximately 1,000 shops and the hotel suites, with landscaped public space and a water fountain. The second, near Kampala Road, is planned to accommodate approximately 2,500 shops, with free public toilets, Wi-Fi, banking facilities and resting spaces.
The development plan also incorporates rooftop greenery and solar power, while provisions for public amenities are intended to make the complex useful beyond its commercial functions.
For Kampala’s business community, the proposal presents the prospect of additional organised trading space in a prominent location. Its supporters see the planned facilities as an opportunity to improve the commercial environment while expanding the range of services available to traders and visitors.
The project has nevertheless attracted debate over how the redevelopment should balance commercial activity with public access, environmental considerations and the future of the existing City Square space. These are among the issues that the relevant authorities can examine as they assess the proposal.
Museveni’s directive provides an opportunity for the government to evaluate the investment plan through the appropriate institutional channels and establish the way forward. A coordinated assessment could clarify the project’s feasibility, the conditions required for implementation and how public-interest considerations can be incorporated into the final arrangements.
Lumumba’s briefing also addressed the government’s continued open-door policy towards refugees, which she said had been reaffirmed by Cabinet despite Uganda’s economic challenges. However, the central issue raised by the journalist concerned the government’s position on the proposed City Square redevelopment.
For Bulwadda, the immediate priority is for the proposal to receive the necessary consideration from the responsible authorities. The outcome of that process will be crucial in determining whether the envisaged commercial complex can proceed and what requirements must first be met. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
