By Mulengera Reporters
Gen Proscovia Nalweyiso, an influential assistant to the President based in State House Entebbe, has spoken out giving her views on the proposed redevelopment of Kampala City Square. She says she isn’t ashamed of being a supporter of Hajji Hassan Bulwadda in whose favor the President recently wrote to the Kampala Minister.
In his letter last month, the President asked Minsa Kabanda the Kampala Minister to put together an inter-ministerial committee to study Bulwadda’s written proposal and advise him on its suitability. The President’s letter sparked a lot of public debate with the Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo leading those voicing their opposition to the same.
In an interview with Next Media journalist Twaha Mukiibi, who works for Salaam TV, Gen Nalweyiso declared her support and advised the likes of Balimwezo to tell or show the country their alternative proposal. She said should any of those people come up with an alternative proposal that is better than Bulwadda’s, she will publicly rally behind it and support them.
“If Bulwadda’s proposal is 10 floors and someone else proposes 20, I will support that person,” Nalweyiso said while endorsing Bulwadda’s proposal as timely because, in her view, Kampala young real estate billionaire has the finance muscle required to pull off the City Square redevelopment. She said no one should be against the proposed redevelopment for as long as Bulwadda demonstrates financial capabilities and readiness to redevelop the open green space without destroying the greening aspects of the same.
Nalweyiso also laughed off those who argue that City Square should be left undeveloped and untouched the way it is because it’s one of the few places where thousands of Kampalans can run to for sanctuary in case an emergency fire breaks out some day. She dismissed such people as being hypothetical. She said their objections are utopian and shouldn’t be allowed to stand in the way for the City’s overall development.
She likened Bulwadda to Hajji Ham Kiggundu, saying the two young billionaires have money and a well-established financial muscle to epitomize the private sector’s role in Kampala’s development and infrastructural transformation. She resisted being diverted when the moderator insisted that it’s important that big security people like herself must also interest themselves in knowing where such Kampala’s young billionaires keep getting such colossal sums of money.
She said that in his case, Bulwadda has a traceable track record because he has already been a well-established name in the real estate business in Kampala. She thanked the President for always inviting such young billionaires and property moguls to Kyankwanzi to speak to and inspire newly elected leaders who are always herded there for induction training. She implied that no one should doubt Bulwadda’s capability to raise the money required to redevelop City Square because his real estate development track record speaks for itself.
