Josephine Maseruka
30 September 2008
Kampala — The Kampala Mayor, Haji Nasser Sebaggala, has appealed to the Government to formulate a policy that will force able-bodied Ugandans to work.
Sebaggala was appering before the probe team investigating Kawempe and Makindye divisions in Kampala and Mbarara Municipality to establish whether local revenue is properly mobilised, collected and utilised.
It is also investigating if the laws, administrative procedures and regulations were followed in the management of council finances.
Sebaggala told the team chaired by Jacob Oulanyah on Friday that Uganda would not develope with the youth flocking the city to play cards (matatu) and take drugs.
"They inconvenience the few genuine workers yet they too demand services from Kampala City Council (KCC)," Sebaggala said.
He cited Britain, saying it had 67 million people, of whom 90% were employed.
He regretted that Uganda with a population of about 30 million people has about 10% employed.
"We cannot talk of development in Uganda with few people working. Let the Government come up with a policy that will force them to work. It could be painful, but it must be effected. "
Prof. Victoria Mwaka, a member of the commission, asked Sebaggala what he thought of the 'I don't care alttitude', where volunteerism had been forgotten, and people wait for the 'mayor to come and clean their filth.'
Sebaggala suggested 'de-populating' the city by creating other satellite cities, which would be easy to manage.
He proposed that such cities could be set up in Matugga on Bombo Road, Kalagi on Gayaza/ Bugerere road, in Mabira on Jinja Road and at Buloba on Hoima Road.
He, however, said this could only work if the Government had a good urban development plan.
On the poor roads around the city, Sebaggala said that KCC's budget could not sustain the roads.
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