Today morning RX Radio Presenter Olive Najjuma questioned the UGX 1.5 trillion KCCA 5-year development plan budget for 2021-2025, asking whether it will be directed to only planting urban forests within Kampala or other activities as well that will beautify the city.
This was during The Fatboy Show as Olive and Daniel commented on KCCA’s futuristic plan to create an urban forest reserve that will serve climate change.
While celebrating the World Cities Day, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago pointed examples of cities like Dubai, that have turned their desert cities into splendid metropolises due to proper resource allocation, political will and clear policies.
He said that though the grandiose 5-year development plan to modernise the city requires UGX 1.5 trillion, it was allocated UGX 441 billion yet most of the revenue distributed to other cities is collected from Kampala.
Olive, while supporting the idea of creating urban forests, stated that the mayor should not only lead the planting of trees in the city but around it as well.
“We need trees all over the city and along the streets but not in one place because when you go to Nairobi, you will see trees separating lanes or on the side of roads which we don't have here,” she proposed.
In addition, she was concerned about whether the five-year budget will be allocated to only the planting of trees or developing the rest of the city as well.
“Is the 1.5 trillion geared towards only planting urban forests or other activities too?”
She also wondered if Ugandans have decided to be faithless citizens in thinking that such projects have become opportunities for a few beneficiaries.
Daniel in his response said, “It's not that we ‘think’ but the truth is someone is always eating money. I’d like to think otherwise but it is the reality and another point of creating a corruption budget, with an amount to be allocated to particular individuals and get it taxed. Then later, the government will come out to declare what has been fraudulently misused that year.”
Furthermore, Olive stated that it is surprising that what she studied years ago as the solutions to curbing corruption haven't changed, and it is still the same as what her kids have studied; and yet when it comes to national development programs, corruption has endlessly topped the list of challenges, but has never been resolved.
The Fatboy show is hosted by James Onen aka Fatboy, Olive, Sarah and Lesham every weekday from 6am to 10am on RX Radio.
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