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Mengo should be a municipality
UNDER the proposed new regional government for Buganda, Mengo will become a municipality.
Presently, it is part of Kampala.
However, some federal activists are arguing that this is a plot to undermine Mengo and that it should instead become a district.
This would be a mistake. It is in Bugandas best interest for Mengo to be a municipality.
Firstly, a municipality will receive more money from the central government than a district. Government is committed to the urbanisation of Uganda and more funding for infrastructure is likely to come to Mengo if is classified as a municipality than if it is classified as a rural district.
Secondly, if Mengo becomes a district, it would have exactly the same status as other districts in Buganda. There would be nothing to distinguish Mengo from, say, Wakiso or Mukono. Mengo would have no special authority in the new regional government yet Mengo is supposed to be the capital of Buganda. If Mengo became a munic
ipality,
it would be clear that it had a different status to the other districts and therefore should have a unique voice in the regional government.
Furthermore, municipalities can be allowed to expand, but districts have fixed boundaries. As Kampala keeps growing, surely Mengo needs to reserve the possibility of extending its area in future. Buganda will, therefore, benefit more if Mengo is a municipality.
Government has created a new regional tier of local government for those districts that wish to participate. This has been the culmination of a long-drawn out process of negotiation, particularly with Buganda. These negotiations have been conducted in good faith and the final proposals are a compromise that are intended to be in the best interest of all parties, as the proposal to make Mengo into a municipality demonstrates.
Regional government is now virtually a done deal. Now is not the time tohaggle for a better deal.
Published on: Thursday, 25th August, 2005 |
