Former NRM Vice Chairperson for the Western Region, Captain Mike Mukula, has proposed that Uganda should establish a brand new, well-planned capital city to replace Kampala.
Mukula says Kampala, currently estimated to host over 4.3 million people, has become overcrowded and is struggling with issues like traffic congestion, poor drainage and floods.
According to Mukula, the proposed new city would host key government offices and institutions including Parliament, the Central Bank, the Judiciary and a modern international airport. He says this would match the government’s ongoing plans to develop satellite cities such as Entebbe and Nakasongola.
Mukula argues that major countries like Tanzania, which shifted its capital from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, and Nigeria, which moved from Lagos to Abuja, have already gone this route successfully.
However, some critics are questioning whether such a project is realistic or affordable, especially under the current leadership. Concerns have been raised about corruption, misuse of funds and whether the government can truly execute such a massive national transformation.
“Kampala has outgrown its capacity as Uganda’s capital. It can no longer sustain the demands of a modern state. We need to reimagine and gazette a new, well-planned metropolis… The future city must start now,” Mukula stated.
It’s worth noting that Uganda once changed its capital before. The country’s earliest capital was Jinja before it was moved to Kampala.
This discussion now sparks a major debate: Is Uganda ready for a new capital city, or should Kampala simply be fixed and upgraded?
