The Ministry of Lands has asked residents in Jinja City, to adopt the new physical planning draft.
Through World Bank funding, the ministry unveiled the physical plan of Namizi ward located in the Northern division, in Jinja city, which will act as a satellite model planning area for the rest of the cities in the country.
The draft physical plan within the nine villages located in Namizi ward comprises the location of roads, health facilities, schools, green spaces, residential and industrial areas.
Namizi is one of the densely populated wards in the country with an estimate of 12,000 people, who are expected to locally implement the contents of the draft physical plan in consultation with the responsible government organs.
The lands ministry’s geographical information system specialist, Peter Wandera says that Namizi’s physical plan is an excerpt of the 20 years Jinja integrated physical development plan and if implemented by the community, it will act as a bench marking tool for the rest of the urban authorities within the country.
Wandera stresses that Namizi is located along the banks of River Nile with several tourist and agro-processing potentials, which can be easily exploited while protecting the environment from degradation.
Wandera further says that Jinja City registers an annual population growth of 5%, which demands proper planning that can provide for industrial and infrastructural development since both amenities are key drivers in creating quick employment opportunities for the surrounding communities.
Magdalene Namukuve, a resident of Namizi West Cell says that their area is densely populated and some people had resorted to constructing residential houses in reserved spaces due to population pressure however, with the current physical plan, law enforcement agencies will easily liaise with the local authorities to ensure that, there is clean and balanced development in their area.
The Town Clerk of the Northern division, Abubaker Menya says that the Ministry will closely work with local communities to ensure that, the current physical plan is adhered to by all parties.
Menya further reveals that efforts of drafting the physical plan began in 2017 however, some residents had shunned it due to misinformation but, following the continuous sensitization drives that have enabled their input, a bigger section of the population have embraced it and have expressed commitment to oversee its’ implementation.
-URN
