Building by-law stalls Kayunga town growth
Kayunga Town Council's decade-old by-law requiring new developments to be storeyed buildings is being blamed for stalling local economic growth. Developers argue the requirement is financially unviable, while local authorities maintain the policy is necessary for achieving municipality status.
Why it matters
This illustrates the tension between urban planning mandates and the economic realities faced by small-scale developers in developing regions.
More than a decade ago, authorities in Kayunga Town Council, Kayunga District, passed a by-law requiring all new developers in the central business area to construct storeyed buildings.
According to the 2012 council resolution, the authorities also resolved not to approve building plans without water-borne flush toilets as part of a plan to enable the area to acquire municipality status.
The central business area where the by-law was supposed to be implemented covers Kayunga Central, Kayunga West, Kayunga North, Kisawo-Kibira and Nakaliro wards.
However, despite the council lowering building fees for developers who want to erect storeyed buildings, the Monitor has learnt that the incentive has not spurred construction of the required structures, with some prospective developers calling for a review of what they describe as a “harsh” by-law.
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