By KT Reporter
Leaders in Busia Municipality have secured a donation under the United Nations Development Program-UNDP to change the physical appearance of Busia town.
Works on the UGX 926 million (USD 257,377) project that will last 11 months started in August this year, and it will end in June 2026. The project’s main focus is on climate resilience.
Evans Bwire, the Busia Municipal Council environmental officer, says that they have earmarked areas that have challenges of drainage, making them prone to flash floods like South East, North B, North C, Sofia, among others, in the Eastern division.
The project comprises planting green plants like trees and grass on the town streets, expanding main streets by creating walkways for pedestrians and space for disabled persons’ tricycles, standardising drainage channels, garbage management and community sensitisation.
Edrine Bwire, the Busia Municipal planner, says that this project is going to help design Busia town to the standards of a city, and they have secured other funding to construct leisure parks and staff quarters for civil servants.They want leaders to help them secure more land that can host the projects.
Collins Mukisa, Clement Maloba and John Onyasi, among other residents, say that they want area leaders to put the funds to good use. The project will also help to reduce slum like in areas of Sofia and Arubaine.
They expressed concern over poor garbage management to the extent that most drainage channels that were constructed by Uganda National Roads Authority- UNRA in Busia town are filled with garbage, blocking gravitational water flow.
David Waluku, the Busia Municipal Council deputy speaker, says that they are going to work hard to ensure the projects benefit the Busia community. He wants the council to utilise the available 3.8 acres to construct a Leisure park and staff quarters as UNDP designs Busia town.
Sadiki Amini Agele, the Busia town mayor, says that they want to ensure the face of Busia town changes using the donation funds before the end of this financial year. They have passed by-laws to handle poor management of town-like cases of loitering animals, littering plastics and unnecessary dumping of wastes that shall be handled by the Municipal Council Court.
The council passed charges that whoever is found guilty of the said offence shall pay UGX500,000 or serve one year of imprisonment. Dumping waste will face a fine of UG200,000 or earn on 6 months’ imprisonment.
It’s reported that only Busia Municipality in Uganda, Kisumu in Kenya in East Africa has benefited from the UNDP donation.
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