THE 3rd REAL ESTATE AND HOMES EXPO 2012 AS HOSTED BY BUGANDA LAND BOARD - BULANGE MENGO

Buganda Real Estates and Homes Expo 2012 Officially Opened

The minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development in the Central Government, Daudi Migereko has praised the Kingdom for organizing the real estates and home Expo every year. While officially opening this year’s real estate and homes expo at Bulange, Mengo, the minister described the expo as an opportunity for his ministry to reach out the people and help to clarify on a number of issues regarding land and urban development.

This is the 3rd real estate and homes expo organized by the Kingdom through Buganda Land Board to present an opportunity where the public interacts with property developers, valuers, land planners, real estate agents, financing institutions and government institutions. The Expo will run under the theme “A step towards professionalism in real estate development and management”.

The minister noted that so many people are ignorant that even private land is part and parcel to government planning. He therefore emphasized that people need to understand that government has to be involved in the planning of activities on private land in order to have activities that follow a defined plan. He cited the need for planed and organized settlements in order to meet international standards like in China which has a very large population but well planned settlements which present good life styles to the people of China. Migereko at the CBS Stall being explained by Meddie Nsereko of CBS Radio.

He called for good working relations between the private sector and the central government to identify the leading cause of problems on land and be able to come up a clear plan and solution to these problems. Migereko expressed concerned over the growing population coupled with a high rate of urbanization where everyone wants to own a piece of land to construct a home. He said that this is a very big problem since land is fixed and cannot be expanded to accommodate the expanding population. He observed that building big houses is no longer sustainable in Uganda due to the high demand for land by the expanding population. The minister furthermore called for liaison between people who own big land, with those with enterprise and those with money in order to come up with considerable development on it. He called for the development the real estate company to solve the burning need for modern housing around the city and advised stakeholders to migrate from one man one, woman enterprise to joint enterprises in order to have credible and meaningful business enterprises. The minister also observed the need to boost the local manufacturers of building materials like cement, sheets, Mable glass among others so that they can be produced here in plenty since all the raw materials are readily available which he said will help to reduce on their costs to the locals. He called for commercial agriculture on big pieces of land where enough food for consumption and export can be produced.

The Children Play Centre

The 1st deputy Katikkiro Amb. Emmanule L Ssendawula has commended the central government for the its support extended to the Kingdom through the Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development but also Buganda Land Board that has consistently played a key role in facilitating the real estates and homes expo every year. Buganda's Minister Israel Mayengo admiring some of the materials exhibited by a group from Mombasa. Ssendawula who was speaking during the opening of the 3rd annual real estate and homes expo at Bulange, Mengo on Thursday said that the event is very important to everybody in Buganda especially to tenants on Kabaka’s land as it presents various opportunities in relation to real estate development, survey and mapping, physical planning, legal issues among others. The 1st deputy Katikkiro furthermore commended Buganda Land Board which has promoted regulations of tenancy through registration and leasing and for coming up with various initiatives encouraging sustainable developments and investments for better living through planned settlement. He explained that the board has also moved a step further in maximizing land utilization by setting up value addition projects/developments such as Muganzirwazza Commercial Centre; building strategic partnerships with financial institutions and land developers. He stressed that all these projects are very crucial in generating income that helps the Kingdom of Buganda uplift the social wellbeing of the people in Buganda in particular and Uganda at large through promotion of Health, Education and Agriculture, to mention but a few. Ssendawula explained further that Buganda Land Board has a comprehensive plan to set up satellite cities to help in decongestion and substantially reduce on environmental degradation of wetland and forests which has become a common phenomenal especially in urban areas of the Kingdom of Buganda which he said is one of the reasons why the Kingdom of Buganda has persistently kept on demanding for the return of Ebyaffe, including the 1500 square miles of wetlands and forests. He therefore emphasized that the Kingdom of Buganda will not relent on its legitimate demand for “Ebyaffe”, including 9000 square miles, the said1500 above, and the land for each of the sub –counties and Counties. He however requested Buganda Land Board to consider setting up gazetted land out of the 350 square miles in the meantime to foster protection of endangered plant or species such as spear-grass (Essenke), medicinal plants and other natural species of cultural value. He cited that currently the Kingdom faces a very big challenge of the scarcity of essenke for the restoration of Amasiro at Wamala and Kasubi. But if a piece of land where such cultural species can be grown it would help to solve this problem. Ssendawula stressed that the Expo is free of entry to all members of the public and it is in agreement with the Kingdom’s policy of encouraging the people of Buganda not to sell their land, but add value and develop it. This exhibition is geared towards achieving this: teaching the people on how to develop their land. He thanked the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development for maintaining such good working relationship with the Kingdom and all the sponsors, more so the key partners in this year’s exhibition; namely, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, CBS radio, Alarm Group and National Housing Corporation among others. You can visit the blog: http://www.williamkituuka.blogspot.com Thank you.