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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has okayed the creation of Semuto –Kapeeka municipality in Nakaseke district, saying it will encourage effective planning for an industrial center.
According to Local Government Act, the conditions for creation of municipality include the capacity to meet the cost of service delivery and office accommodation, existence of a physical development plan for land use, reliable water sources and reasonable financial base.
The area must also have a population of at least 100,000 inhabitants. However, Semuto town council has only 10,935 people while Kapeeka Sub County has about 40,000, according to 2014 National Population and Housing Census 2014.
Ignatius Koomu Kiwanuka, the Nakaseke LC 5 Chairperson, says the area is fast growing as a result of the establishment of Namunkekera Rural Industrial Center at Kapeeka trading center and needs a municipality status for easy planning. Koomu explains that the municipality will also attract social services that are still lacking.
He asked the president to approve the elevation of the area to a municipal status because of its contribution to the National Resistance Movement Army war of 1981-1986.
Speaking at a rally at Ngoma sub county headquarters in Nakaseke on Wednesday evening, President Museveni said he was in support of the creation of Semuto-Kapeeka municipality so as to encourage planning for the industrial center.
He directed the District Council to sit and pass a resolution creating of the municipality and forward it to his office for endorsement.
However, the area Member of Parliament, Luttamaguzi Ssemakula said the problem of residents is not a municipal status but service delivery.
Luttamaguzi claimed that he is aware that the creation of the municipality is intended to favor a specific NRM parliamentary aspirant.
There are 22 municipalities in the country including that were created recently.
In March this year, President Museveni said that there should be an end to the creation of new administrative units in the country citing huge administrative costs.
However, it’s not clear when the creation of the new administrative units will stop.
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