Dennis Ojwee
7 October 2008
Kampala — THE shortage of houses in the country has increased from 60,000 in 1980 to 600,000 today, President Yoweri Museveni said in a speech on World Habitat Day on Monday.
The high demand for good houses cannot be met through public sector initiatives alone, he noted. The Government would partner with local authorities, private developers, foreign investors, employers, housing co-operatives and savings and credit cooperatives.
In his speech, read in Gulu by water and environment minister Maria Mutagamba, Museveni said Uganda's population has been growing at a rate of 3.2%, from 24.7 million people in 2002 to the current 30 million. By 2025, there will be an estimated 54 million Ugandans, and by 2035, the population will reach 77 million. He said about 30% of the population will live in urban areas, up from 15% today.
Museveni noted that apart from the war, many towns in northern Uganda suffer from floods, poor solid waste management and poor management of hillsides.
He said the Government was taking steps to address the challenges and transform Uganda from a peasant economy into a modern, industrial society.
Housing minister Omara Atubo said the major challenges that needed to be addressed included homelessness, poverty, rapid urbanisation, social exclusion, unemployment, crime and access to basic services.
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