Katikkiro Mayiga Joins Calls to Save City Square

What the report says

Buganda’s Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga has added his voice to calls for Kampala’s City Square to remain a public green space, following a proposal to redevelop part of the historic site into a mixed-use commercial project. The plan, linked in the reporting to businessman Hajj Hassan Bulwadda, would include a hotel, shopping mall and other facilities, with solar power also mentioned as part of the concept.

In a post on X, Mayiga argued that the city needs more open areas, parks and squares rather than more malls, hotels and apartments. His comments have widened an already active debate over the future of the roughly two-acre site, which is also known as Constitution Square.

The issue has drawn in central government, Kampala Capital City Authority, Parliament, city leaders and private interests. Nile Post reported that President Museveni directed Kampala affairs minister Minsa Kabanda to study the proposal with KCCA and report back, but that no land sale has been completed. Parliament has also questioned whether one of the capital’s few remaining open spaces should be allocated for private development, while the opposition has urged protection of the green area.

Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo has separately opposed the redevelopment, saying the square serves environmental, recreational, historical and emergency-response functions. The dispute now sits within a broader discussion about urban planning, public land and how Kampala balances commercial growth with the preservation of shared spaces.