Uganda plans for urban centres in oil region
Tuesday January 21 2014
Workers undertake a flaring test at the Waraga 1 well in Hoima district in western Uganda. The government has started plans to establish urban centres in the western Uganda where commercially viable oil deposits were discovered. Photo/FILE
The government has started plans to establish urban centres in western Uganda where commercially viable oil deposits were discovered.
The Ministry of Lands has contracted Urban Research and Training Consultancy, a Ugandan firm, to draw physical development plans for Sebigoro, Buliisa and Butyaba towns in Bunyoro sub-regions.
The director physical planning in the Lands ministry, Mr Savino Katsigeire, made the revelations last week while addressing government technocrats, political and civil society leaders in Bunyoro during a physical planning consultative meeting which was held in Hoima Town.
He revealed that the Albertine Graben has been declared a special planning area.
He said the plan will guide locations and structures of industries, infrastructure, agriculture, housing, environmental conservation and other activities that will arise as a result of oil and gas development. “Other towns will be selected for in the next financial year,” he said.
He said the government wants oil developments to be undertaken in an orderly manner.
“The planning of the three settlements is to provide a planning framework for their sustainable development through preparation of a ten-year integrated physical development plans,” he said.
Mr Charles Koojo, the executive director Urban Research and Training Consultancy, said the selected towns have numerous and unique development potentials.