Next week Uganda will join the global community in celebrating World Habitat Day 2024 on Monday, October 7th, at Kamwokya Tresor Life Centre (KTLC) in Kampala.
The celebrations, led by the Minister of State for Housing, Hon. Persis Namuganza, will focus on the theme “Engaging Youth to Create a Better Urban Future,” highlighting the pivotal role of young people in addressing urban challenges and shaping sustainable cities.
While addressing the media about the day on Thursday, Minister Namuganza emphasized the importance of youth-driven initiatives in urban planning and development.
She noted that with Uganda’s rapid urbanization rate of 5.3 percent and a high population growth rate of 3.2 percent, the majority of the population is youthful. “By 2030, 60 percent of urban residents worldwide will be under the age of 18. Uganda must tap into this youthful energy to create vibrant, resilient cities,” Namuganza stated.
World Habitat Day, which was first proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1985, is observed annually on the first Monday of October. The day serves as a moment to reflect on the state of human settlements and the universal right to adequate shelter.
Globally, the main celebrations will take place in Queretaro, Mexico, while Uganda’s national event as the minister alluded will focus on the urban development challenges faced by youth in the country.
“With the urban youth facing housing, employment, and environmental challenges, we must invest in their future,” Namuganza stressed. She outlined several strategies that the Ministry of Housing is implementing to address these issues, including promoting youth-led initiatives on climate change, affordable housing, digital skills expansion, and entrepreneurship. “These efforts aim to foster more inclusive and resilient urban spaces in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” she noted.
In the same way, the Minister updated the nation on the government’s progress in housing and urban planning, detailing several government policies designed to address urbanization and improve human settlements. Key initiatives include:
National Housing Policy 2016, a framework to improve housing development across the country. National Urban Policy 2017 to Manage the urbanization process focusing on sustainable growth. Condominium Property Act 2001 to promote vertical housing to manage urban sprawl.
Physical Planning Act 2010 Ensuring orderly spatial development. Landlord-Tenant Bill 2018 to address the relationship between landlords and tenants to ensure fairness. National Slum Upgrading Strategy interventions in urban slums to improve living conditions. And National Physical Development Plan (NPDP), is a guide for spatial and human settlement development.
In addition, the Ministry has also operationalized twenty zonal offices across Uganda to bring land services closer to the people, increasing the security of tenure in several districts through the Systematic Land Adjudication and Certification program.
Meanwhile, the celebrations at KTLC will include a public rally, an awareness march in the Kamwokya informal settlement, and community service activities. Participants from HFHU (Habitat for Humanity Uganda), Rotary International, Makerere University, and local schools like Rainbow International School and Taibah International School will actively contribute to the event.
Youth groups will showcase their creativity through presentations and entertainment, with a special exhibition of products by the “Mothers in Need” initiative, a project empowering young women in informal settlements.
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