How viable is moving Uganda’s Capital City from Kampala?

What the report says

The Independent Uganda reports that debate has resurfaced over whether Uganda should move some or all of its capital-city functions from Kampala to Nakasongola. The discussion is framed as a broader question of whether government should gradually shift political and administrative work to a purpose-built centre while Kampala remains the country’s main commercial hub. The article notes that any formal change of capital would be a constitutional issue, since Kampala is designated as Uganda’s capital in the Constitution and in the Kampala Capital City Act.

The piece says the idea has appeared before in political and planning discussions, including proposals by some MPs in late 2024 and earlier election-era promises to relocate the capital. It also places the latest talk in the context of Kampala’s congestion, land-use pressures and rapid urban growth. Nakasongola is already identified in Vision 2040 as one of Uganda’s strategic cities, but the article stresses that this does not amount to a decision to make it the capital.

The report features physical planner Wilson Awuzu, who argues that Kampala’s problems do not automatically justify moving the capital. He says the priority should be better land use, denser development and stronger planning, rather than expanding outward or relocating government offices alone. The article links his view to national planning frameworks that promote integrated development, polycentric growth and protection of land resources.

The story matters because it touches on long-term decisions about where Uganda concentrates power, services and investment. It also highlights an ongoing planning debate: whether congestion should be addressed by decentralizing government functions, or by improving and rebalancing the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.