Introduction

This is the city profile for Kampala. The profile attempts to present the most important information about Kampala and the ASToN project, drawing on information gathered through a questionnaire, a 2.5-day city visit in August 2019, and the all-city ASToN kick-off meeting in October 2019. This was supplemented with two interviews with the ASToN lead. Over the course of the city visit, the ASToN team facilitated workshops with Kampala Capital City Authority to understand their ambitions and concerns for the project.

About the city

Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. It is the most preferred place to live, raise children and invest in the country. The city sits next to the freshwater of Lake Victoria and is a green and vibrant city, as well as a religious center. Kampala’s metropolitan region, which is formed of five boroughs, is one of the world’s fastest growing urban areas. Alongside this growth, comes pressures on city programs, local infrastructure, services, transportation networks and environmental preservation.

About the ASToN member

The ASToN member is Kampala Capital City Authority, abbreviated to KCCA. KCCA was established in 2011 as the governing body of Kampala. Its objective over the medium term is to facilitate the delivery of quality services of Kampala in a manner that ensures value for money. The vision of KCCA is for Kampala to be a “vibrant, attractive and sustainable city”.

KCCA has eleven directorates, among which is the Executive Director’s office, to which the other directorates report. Technical decisions are handled by the Executive Director. City ordinances, policies and the budget are approved by the Authority, headed by the Lord Mayor. The Ministry of Kampala provides guidance to the Council to harmonize with national regulations and existing laws.