Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has confirmed that plans to redevelop Constitution Square in the city centre will not proceed, following consultations with government officials and a cabinet decision to preserve the historic public space.
KCCA executive director Sharifah Buzeki said the authority remains in possession and control of the square, dismissing concerns that the land had already been handed over to a private developer.
She made the remarks while appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), chaired by Kyadondo East MP Muwada Nkunyingi.
The decision follows public debate over a proposal by businessman Hassan Bulwadda to redevelop part of the square into a commercial complex featuring a hotel, shopping mall and other facilities.
The government announced on October 27 that the cabinet had decided to preserve Constitution Square and reject the proposed redevelopment.
“All the consultative meetings unanimously agreed to preserve Constitution Square as a historic site for the country,” Buzeki told the committee.
She said KCCA would continue safeguarding the site and would provide Parliament with a detailed report addressing the concerns raised over its ownership and proposed redevelopment.
The committee questioned KCCA officials about claims by businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba that he held rights to the same property under a long-term lease.
Basajjabalaba told COSASE in September that his company, HABA Group, won a tender in 2001 to redevelop the approximately 2.5-acre site.
He said the company paid the then Kampala City Council (KCC) about Shs1.635 billion and was entitled to a lease arrangement that included an initial five-year period and a further 49-year sublease.
Buzeki told MPs that KCCA would submit a comprehensive report on Basajjabalaba’s complaints at the committee’s next sitting.
The controversy intensified after President Museveni wrote to the Minister for Kampala, Minsa Kabanda, asking her to study Bulwadda’s proposal in consultation with KCCA and report back to him.
Bulwadda had proposed transforming the site into a modern, environmentally friendly commercial complex, with facilities powered by solar energy.
The presidential directive triggered questions about the future of one of Kampala’s remaining public green spaces and whether the redevelopment would affect its historical significance.
