TAKEAWAYS

• Hon. Margaret Muhanga wants Uganda to consider relocating its capital city from Kampala.
• She cited Nigeria, Tanzania and South Africa as examples of countries that separated political and commercial functions.
• The minister believes the move would ease congestion in Kampala while driving development in other regions.

Minister of State for Urban Development Hon. Margaret Muhanga has proposed relocating Uganda’s capital city from Kampala, saying the country needs a bold shift in urban planning to address congestion and promote more balanced national development.

Speaking during a public discussion on urban development, Muhanga argued that Kampala has carried the weight of being Uganda’s political, administrative and commercial centre for decades, resulting in severe congestion and pressure on infrastructure.

“We need a very radical shift from where we are to where we are going. The radical shift that I want to propose… is to move the capital city out of Kampala,” Muhanga said.

She pointed to several countries that have separated their political and commercial centres, saying Uganda could adopt a similar model.

Muhanga also cited South Africa, where government functions are spread across different cities.

“South Africa has got Cape Town where Parliament sits, Johannesburg is a business city, and the capital city is Pretoria.”

Closer to home, she referenced neighbouring Tanzania.

“Just here in Tanzania, the East African Community is in Arusha. The Parliament and the whole government is in Dodoma, while Dar es Salaam remained a business city.”

According to the minister, relocating the capital would help spread investment and public services beyond Kampala.

“Development goes to other areas rather than concentrating only here in the centre.”

Muhanga suggested that government could identify a suitable location with sufficient land to establish a modern administrative city.

“It’s doable. We have a lot of land where we can get about 20 square miles and still make a new city without much expense.”

She added that advances in digital technology have made it easier for government services to operate from different locations.

“With e-governance and e-commerce, you simply sit on your computer and you can talk to government.”

Kampala has long struggled with traffic congestion, rapid urbanisation, flooding and increasing pressure on public services as the city’s population continues to grow. Discussions about expanding or decentralising government functions have surfaced over the years, although no formal plan has been adopted to relocate Uganda’s capital.