In an act of political foresight, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni and his Cabinet made a decisive move in December to halt the creation of additional cities. This important decision shifts the focus from short-term goals to addressing the real, urgent needs of the people.
The struggles faced by Uganda’s newly created cities reveal the perils of rushed urbanization. Despite initial fanfare, many of these cities remain incapable of delivering even basic services. A staggering 78% of urban roads are unpaved, nearly half of urban households lack access to a clean and reliable water supply, and sanitation systems are grossly inadequate. These cities, beset by dismal waste management and fragile infrastructure, stand as hollow monuments to unchecked urban expansion.
These cities are heavily dependent on central government funding. Local revenue generation is abysmally low, with most cities raising an average of UGX 1.3 billion (USD 350,000) annually—a pittance compared to their operational demands. This dependency has created a cycle of inefficiency and stagnation, stretching the central budget to breaking point.
The Auditor General’s 2022 report further highlights a budget shortfall of UGX 41.2 billion (USD 11 million) across the ten new cities. Strangled by financial constraints, these municipalities struggle to provide even rudimentary services, let alone pursue meaningful development. Do Ugandans need more cities or better services? It is akin to building a luxury house with no food on the table, or even buying a luxury car with no tuition for your children.
Uganda’s growing public debt has soared in recent years, with loans increasingly diverted to fund projects that yield little immediate benefit for citizens. Borrowing to establish new cities—or to construct offices for administrative staff—only exacerbates financial strain, leaving vital sectors such as healthcare, education, and agriculture perilously underfunded.
This reckless borrowing is untenable. Uganda’s debt currently stands at UGX 96 trillion and is expected to cross UGX 100 trillion by 2025. The country cannot afford to funnel scarce resources into politically motivated urban expansion while its citizens endure dilapidated schools, failing healthcare systems, and collapsing infrastructure.
The doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:50,000 is an indictment of misplaced priorities, as is the revelation that 30% of schools in these cities lack essential amenities such as classrooms and toilets. This is not the portrait of a country on the brink of transformation, but one grappling with the consequences of illogical decision-making.
The government recently rationalized some agencies. This initiative, projected to save up to Shs 2.2 trillion annually, offers a lifeline for redirecting funds toward critical sectors.
While assenting to a bill earlier this year to rationalize nine government agencies, President Museveni revealed that the 135-kilometer Masaka-Kampala road was constructed at a cost of Shs 440 billion. He noted that the Shs 2.2 trillion lost annually to structural agencies could instead fund the construction of five such roads every year. Over a five-year term, this amounts to Shs 11 trillion, which could build 25 roads spanning 3,375 kilometers.
Such measures demonstrate that Uganda can, with the right priorities, emerge from its financial quagmire and focus on addressing its citizens’ fundamental needs.
The Equal Opportunities Commission’s 2022/2023 report exposed the unsuitability of many new cities to function as viable urban centers. Only Mbale and Arua meet the population and planning thresholds set by Uganda’s 2017 National Urban Planning Policy. Cities such as Jinja, Lira, Masaka, and Mbarara—along with the recently proposed additions—fall embarrassingly short. These findings showed the recklessness of creating cities without a comprehensive and sustainable blueprint for their operation.
Halting the creation of new cities is a bold step toward sustainable development. The government is channeling its resources to critical services rather than chasing the mirage of urban expansion. In doing so, it prioritizes the well-being of its citizens over transient political gains.
The Cabinet’s decision is a testament to governance with conscience. It is leadership that looks beyond the allure of short-term applause and chooses to invest in the future. Progress is not measured by the number of cities created but by the quality of life those cities offer.
An anonymous saying holds that “A nation is not built by monuments but by the lives of its people.” Uganda’s leadership has chosen to embrace this truth. It is a choice to mend broken roads before paving new ones, to light homes before erecting city halls, and to feed minds before feeding egos.
The writer is the LC 5 Male Youth Councillor for Rubanda District
Wilfred Arinda Nshekantebirwe
wilfredarinda@gmail.com.
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