Community Development Officers have been warned against white elephants as the four greater Kampala districts of Mukono, Mpigi, Kampala and Wakiso start the implementation of the shs2.1trillion Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Programme (GKMA-UDP)
The programme financed by the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group will see roads, drainage systems and markets, among others, upgraded in the nine districts and municipalities.
Speaking during a training for CDOs from the implementing municipalities and local governments on Thursday, Fred Tumwesigye, a consultant for the programme said there will be a component of development of work spaces and markets for job creation that he said should benefit the population.
“The work spaces, skilling centres, innovation centres and other centres for imparting sills to youths, women and people with disability should be benefit the people. The local economic development component has prioritized about 17 markets in these areas and we are looking at identifying them and surrounding businesses which can be incorporated in these markets for our people,” Tumwesigye said.
He said that by these decent working spaces, the programme is looking at creating more business, even for those currently trading on streets so they can enter the markets to help local governments to collect more revenue.
“We want to have proper trade order but in return create more revenue streams to the local governments and municipalities. We also want to promote product standardization and adding value to them so people can get more income. In all this, we want to emphasise the designs of the markets and other working spaces should not be white elephants.”
“We should ensure these work spaces and markets benefit the people. The people should be proud of them and utilize them or else they might remain white elephants. The youths, women and people with disability should be able to utilize these facilities so they don’t remain vacant.”
Caroline Amuat, a senior Community Development Officer from Mukono, emphasized the role of ensuring participation of the local communities before coming up with the facilities.
“For example, right now we are working on friendly designs for markets to cater for all categories of people without segregation. In this, we have to first consult locals on the designs they want for the markets. We don’t want to have a scenario where a market is built and people don’t occupy it. We have asked the local population to give inputs in the designing of the markets and how they want the stalls to look like and all other aspects.”
The undersecretary in the Office of the President, Monica Edemachu Ejua told the CDOs that the management should be strengthened for the markets that will be repossessed by the municipalities and local government as part of the programme.
