By Mulengera Reporters
President Yoweri Museveni had asked Kampala businessman Hajji Hassan Bulwadda to revise his proposed UGX400 billion redevelopment of Constitutional Square, reserving 40% of the site for green space, as government considered how to balance the project’s commercial ambitions with environmental preservation.
The condition formed part of discussions surrounding Bulwadda’s plan to transform the historic Kampala landmark into a modern commercial and tourism destination featuring thousands of shops, hotel accommodation and public amenities.
However, ICT Minister Kasule Lumumba has since revealed that Cabinet resolved to reverse the current development proposal and retain Constitutional Square’s existing legal status.
Her briefing also clarified that any future development would require a plan from the ministry responsible for heritage protection and approval by Cabinet, leaving the door open to consideration of a fresh proposal that complies with the site’s legal protections.
3,500 SHOPS, 250 HOTEL SUITES
Under Bulwadda’s original proposal, a complex on the Supreme Court side of the square would accommodate approximately 1,000 shops and 250 hotel suites, while another development along Kampala Road would provide about 2,500 shops.
Together, the two developments would create approximately 3,500 shops, potentially opening up new commercial opportunities in Kampala’s city centre.
Other proposed facilities include free public toilets, free Wi-Fi, banking services, resting areas, a tourism exhibition space, solar energy installations, rooftop greenery and a water fountain.
The project has been presented as an opportunity to modernize the city centre while improving facilities for traders, residents and visitors.
Museveni had earlier directed Kampala Minister Minsa Kabanda to assess the proposal in consultation with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and report back before a final decision was made.
LUMUMBA EXPLAINS CABINET DECISION
Briefing journalists on decisions taken at State House Entebbe on Monday, October 26, Lumumba said Cabinet had resolved to reverse the current development proposal and retain the square’s existing legal status.
“Government has decided to reverse the proposal for the development of State Square, formerly known as Constitutional Square, and retain the site’s existing legal status,” she said.
Lumumba explained that the decision followed consideration of the site’s history, legal protection, environmental concerns and urban planning issues.
Constitutional Square is protected under historical legal instruments, including provisions dating back to the 1962 Constitution, the Museums and Monuments Act of 2003, a heritage protection instrument issued in 2004 and the 1995 Constitution, which recognized it as Constitutional Square.
The protected site covers approximately 1.172 hectares comprising plots 5, 6 and 7. It also contains the 1945 war memorial commemorating Ugandan soldiers who died in the First and Second World Wars.
“The square and its memorial are part of our national history. Decisions about the site must respect the history and its protected status,” Lumumba said.
DOOR LEFT OPEN TO A NEW PLAN
Responding to questions about whether Constitutional Square could be developed in future, Lumumba said the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities would have to prepare a plan that respects the site’s protected status before Cabinet could consider it.
“If it is to be developed, that is the ministry that has to come with a plan, and which will be approved by Cabinet because it has also to carry the connotation of what it is protected for,” she said.
“As of now, not yet.”
Her remarks indicate that while the existing proposal has been reversed, any future development would have to follow the relevant legal procedures and receive the necessary approvals.
LEASE QUESTION AWAITS LEGAL GUIDANCE
Lumumba was also asked about claims by an interested party to hold a lease over Constitutional Square and whether government could face compensation claims.
She declined to give a definitive answer, saying the Attorney General [Dr. Sam Mayanja] would have to interpret the relevant laws and advise government.
For now, Cabinet has retained the square’s existing legal status. Any fresh proposal, including one seeking to combine modern commercial facilities with public and heritage considerations, would have to pass through the responsible ministry and Cabinet before it could proceed.
