Uganda is planning to build a new city near Kampala in a bid to ease congestion in the capital. The proposed metropolis would sit on the Mpungwe Peninsula, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of the city, according to Uganda Land Commission Secretary Andrew Nyumba.
“The government now wants to develop the entire peninsula,” Nyumba said on Thursday, referring to the land on the northern shores of Lake Victoria.
The project’s scale remains unclear. Authorities still need to survey the land and compensate current occupants. A formal proposal will go before cabinet next year for approval before work can begin.
The site lies next to a square mile of land that President Yoweri Museveni allocated in 2021 to Senegalese-American singer Akon, who had planned to build a futuristic city modelled on his $6 billion project in Senegal. That development was cancelled earlier this year after Akon failed to deliver, with investors opting for a smaller project instead.
Akon’s Dakar-based manager, Mbacke Dioum, declined to comment on the Uganda plans.
Kampala currently covers about 189 square kilometres and is home to 1.8 million residents, according to last year’s census. The city’s daily population swells to around 4 million as commuters travel in for work. By comparison, cities like St. Louis and Salt Lake City cover a similar land area but host far fewer people, with populations of roughly 300,000 and 200,000 respectively.
Uganda hopes the new city will reduce the strain on Kampala, which struggles with rapid urban growth and overcrowding.
