Kampala, Uganda — Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki has clarified that no decision has been made to hand over Kampala’s Constitution Square, commonly known as City Square, to a private developer.
Buzeki said President Yoweri Museveni only directed the Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Minsa Kabanda, to study a proposal for the redevelopment of the two-acre public space, consult KCCA and report back to him.
She made the clarification on Tuesday while meeting representatives of Kampala traders amid growing public debate over the proposed development.
“We have heard some voices say that the President gave away the land, but when you read the President’s letter to the Minister of Kampala, he said he had received a proposal to develop the land,” Buzeki said.
“There is nowhere where the President gives away the land.”
The controversy follows a proposal submitted to President Museveni on August 18, 2026, by businessman Hajj Hassan Bulwadda to transform the two-acre Constitution Square into a modern, eco-friendly commercial complex.
The proposed development would include a hotel, shopping mall and other commercial facilities, with solar energy incorporated into the project.
On August 30, Museveni wrote to Minister Kabanda directing her to study the proposal, engage KCCA and report back to him. The correspondence was also copied to Vice President Jessica Alupo and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.
According to Buzeki, Kabanda has since constituted a committee to examine the proposal, but KCCA is yet to receive its findings.
“At this stage, the minister has constituted a committee to look into the proposal, and thereafter they will come to us, and we are waiting for them,” Buzeki said.
She explained that KCCA’s technical and political leadership will subsequently study the proposal and provide their views before the minister submits feedback to the President.
Buzeki’s clarification is consistent with an earlier statement by Deputy Presidential Press Secretary Faruk Kirunda, who said the President had not allocated Constitution Square to any investor and was awaiting a report on the proposal.
Lord Mayor Opposes Commercial Development
Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo has, however, already rejected the idea of commercialising the public space.
Balimwezo maintains that Constitution Square should remain an open public space because of its environmental, recreational and emergency-response importance.
In a September 12 letter to Attorney General Sam Mayanja, the Lord Mayor argued that the square dates back to 1903, when the colonial administration designated the area as Government Square.
He said the site has since acquired civic, historical and constitutional significance and also referred to a 2007 protection order as part of his argument for preserving the space.
“City Square must be left open. It is the City Square that helps us breathe, take in the air. It must not be played with. That’s our take,” Balimwezo said.
For now, the proposal remains under review, with KCCA expected to give its position after receiving and examining the committee’s findings.
