Uganda: Ssenyonyi Criticises Proposed Commercial Redevelopment of City Square

By Sam Ibanda Mugabi

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi (Nakawa West), has criticised a proposal to give away City Square for commercial redevelopment, describing it as a threat to one of Kampala's few remaining public green spaces.

Ssenyonyi said he initially struggled to believe that City Square was being considered for commercial redevelopment, questioning the rationale behind the proposal.

"When I saw that letter about the proposed give-out of City Square, initially I thought it was a fake letter, because sometimes you say maybe there are levels they won't stoop to, that they will have a bit of shame, and then you discover you are wrong, they are willing to go all the way to the bottom, and I found it very problematic," Ssenyonyi said.

He described the proposal as a threat to one of Kampala's few remaining public green spaces and warned against what he characterised as the continued grabbing of public land in the city.

"City Square is one of the few green spaces we have left in Kampala. It is a public space for all Ugandans. We cannot allow it to be given away for commercial buildings. Once we lose it, we lose it forever," Ssenyonyi added.

The Leader of the Opposition called on the government and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to protect public spaces and ensure transparency in the management of public land.

"We must protect our public spaces. Government should be in the business of creating more green spaces for our people, not giving away the few that we have," he concluded.

Read the original article on Nile Post.

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