Leaders in Entebbe Municipality have pointed out the gains and losses made in he year 2023, reflecting on what needs to change in the new year.
According to Entebbe Municipality Mayor, Fabrice Rulinda, a lot of projects are being undertaken to ensure Entebbe regains its historical status as the best tourism destination area in the new year.
“We are developing a health centre and Youth centre in Kigungu ,paving Katabi Health centre and renovating one of the oldest blocks at Chadwick Namate primary school in Entebbe Municipality among other projects” Entebbe Municipality Mayor ,Fabrice Rulinda told Entebbe One Post.
The move is also expected to improve the long-standing challenges associated with aging infrastructure including schools, hospitals and roads among others.
According to Rulinda, as the municipality ,amidst financial challenges ,this is aimed at extending service delivery to the people of Entebbe especially improving the health, education sector as well as establishing areas to support the youth initiatives
“When you move around Entebbe, you will see a lot that has changed and our major aim is to revive the glory of Uganda’s first capital city. We are beautifying our roads in Entebbe, installing street lights among other projects to ensure Entebbe gets infrastructure with international standards.”
He added that the municipality has purchased several garbage trucks to help in waste management.
“The council passed the by-law that deters people from dumping waste anyhow and this has also helped us to reduce waste dumping around compared to other areas,” Rulinda said.
The mayor, however ,appealed to the people of Entebbe especially hotel owners to ensure the business is up to the required standard to be able to host delegates who are soon arriving in the country ahead of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Group of 77(G-77)+ China Summit in January, 2024.
Entebbe Municipality Member of Parliament, Micheal Kakembo Mbwatekamwa said he managed to execute his manifesto in a period of two years in office.
“As I had promised my people in Entebbe, in the period of only 100 days in office, I managed to buy a coaster to help the people of Entebbe in terms of transportation and I also bought a van to help in the same. I bought the sound system to help people on different occasions; I also bought chairs to help those in parties, burial arrangements,” Kakembo added.
He noted that under the manifesto, he plans to promote the education sector in the area and to this, he distributed scholastic materials to most of the schools in Entebbe worth shs75 million.
“I’m happy that as a new legislator in the Parliament, I have managed to advocate for the budget increase allocated to Entebbe Municipality in order to accomplish all pending projects especially in construction of our roads in Entebbe. I shouted until the transport ministry brought us another ferry to transport our people in Entebbe via Nakiwogo ,Buwaya to other areas on Lake Victoria,” Kakembo noted.
However, a number of residents in Entebbe have continued to show discontent with their leaders after the demolition of the historic Entebbe Institute Club building by unknown people earlier this month.
The club that had lasted for over 100 years was demolished but unfortunately the municipality leadership has remained silent on the matter.
Ali Sadic,a resident in Entebbe and an executive member of the Institute Club said the club was initially considered as of the historic buildings in Entebbe founded in 1905 as a sports club, housing over 70 sports students that’s no more.
Locals also decry the extreme levels of corruption amongst officials both in town councils and municipality and slow rate of the construction works for especially roads in Entebbe.
Mukiibi Hassan, a businessman in Katabi town council said the corrupt officials have now penetrated local markets to solicit money from business operators to relocate them to other unauthorized gazetted markets.
Locals in Entebbe have also tasked the government team that is in charge of the preparations for the NAM meeting in Uganda next month not only to beautify Entebbe Airport but also tend to other parts of the town.
“We see them focusing and targeting the airport and main road , leaving hotels ,markets and other facility infrastructure in a sorry state” Benson Ashaba , a local resident in Katabi said.