Summary:
- President Museveni urged Ugandans to prioritize spending on essential services, indicating that the new cities are not urgent financial priorities.
LUWERO: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has stated that there are no funds available for establishing new cities.
In April 2020, the government initiated a phased plan to create 15 cities, starting with an initial group of ten Arua, Mbarara, and Gulu among them which became operational on July 1, 2020. The remaining five cities, including Entebbe, Moroto, Nakasongola, Kabale, and Wakiso, were scheduled for future operationalization.
Earlier this year, in August, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja announced plans to activate these remaining cities by July 1, 2025, in preparation for the 2026 general elections.
However, during a thanksgiving event for Energy and Mineral Development Minister Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, following her recent canonization in the Anglican Church of Uganda in Luwero District on Saturday, President Museveni urged Ugandans to prioritize spending on essential services, indicating that the new cities are not urgent financial priorities.
Cue in President Museveni…..on new cities…..ENG//
President Museveni’s comments align with earlier statements from Minister of Finance (General Duties) Henry Musasizi, who emphasized the government’s focus on priorities like road infrastructure and industrialization investments that promote economic growth rather than add administrative expenses.
In September, Minister Musasizi reiterated the government’s stance, stating that there are no funds to operationalize additional regional cities.
While media reports have speculated that these cities might be activated in the next financial year, Musasizi cast doubt on this timeline, arguing that new cities are economically unsustainable and place a burden on government resources without significantly contributing to the national economy.
“We’ve seen some people pushing for Kabale City to create more constituencies and advance political interests. This is selfish. That money could be better spent on roads, industrialization, and other projects that benefit a broader population,” Musasizi stated.
He added, “I want to see people demanding more roads, factories, and developments that serve everyone, not cities that serve only a few.”
Minister Musasizi also highlighted that the government is already struggling to fund administrative units created in the previous political term, such as town councils. Adding more cities, he argued, would only worsen this financial strain.
He concluded by saying that cities like Kabale will eventually be operationalized, but for now, the government’s priority is economic development through infrastructure and industrialization.
“Cities don’t bring development; development brings cities. Let’s first focus on developing Kabale by building factories and improving infrastructure, and the city will follow,” Musasizi emphasized.
