President Yoweri Museveni has triggered a fresh debate over the future of Kampala’s City Square after directing the Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, to examine a private proposal to turn the public space into a solar-powered commercial complex. The proposal, submitted by Kampala businessman Hajji Hassan Bulwadda, envisages the development of the approximately two-acre piece of land into an eco-friendly real estate project featuring a hotel, shopping mall and other commercial facilities.
The development plan is contained in a letter from President Museveni dated August 30, 2026, addressed to Minister Kabanda and copied to the Vice-President, Prime Minister and Bulwadda.
In the letter, Museveni instructs Kabanda to study the proposal and consult Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) before reporting back to him.
The presidential directive has, however, immediately raised questions among Kampala residents and urban planners over whether a public space historically associated with recreation, public gatherings and civic activity could ultimately be transferred to private commercial use.
Importantly, the letter does not itself constitute a transfer or giveaway of City Square. It directs the minister to study and discuss Bulwadda’s proposal with KCCA. Any eventual allocation, lease or redevelopment would still have to go through the applicable legal, planning and land-management processes.
Museveni’s Letter
The President’s August 30 letter, bearing the State House letterhead, is addressed to Kabanda under the subject:
“PROPOSAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SOLAR-POWERED, ECO-FRIENDLY MODERN COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS COMPLEX AT CITY SQUARE, KAMPALA.”
Museveni writes:
“I have received a letter from Hajj Hassan Bulwadda dated the 18th of August, 2026, proposing to develop the two acres at City Square in Kampala into a modern, eco-friendly real-estate complex, with a hotel, shopping mall, etc., using solar-power, etc.”
He then directs the minister: “Study the proposal, discuss with Kampala Capital City Authority and come back to me.”
The letter is signed by Museveni and copies are sent to the Vice-President, the Prime Minister and Bulwadda.
The wording is significant because the President does not announce that City Square has been allocated to Bulwadda. Instead, he orders an examination of the businessman’s proposal.
Nevertheless, the intervention places the future of the prime city-centre space squarely on the national political agenda.
What Bulwadda Wants
According to Museveni’s letter, Bulwadda wants to transform the two-acre site into a modern real-estate complex.
The proposed development would include a hotel, shopping mall and other commercial facilities, with solar power forming part of the project’s environmentally friendly design.
The proposal fits into the wider push for modernisation of Kampala and greater private-sector participation in urban development.
KCCA has itself been pursuing a programme aimed at restoring order, improving infrastructure and promoting orderly urban development. In April, the authority held an urban-planning open day at City Square and used the occasion to stress the importance of compliance with approved planning regulations.
The Ministry of Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs is also mandated to coordinate physical planning and sustainable urban development in Kampala and the wider metropolitan area.
That means any major redevelopment of City Square would be expected to raise questions about planning, land ownership, public access, environmental considerations, traffic, parking and the interests of ordinary Kampala residents.
City Dwellers Fear Loss Of Public Space
For many city dwellers, the biggest concern is not whether Kampala needs modern buildings but whether the capital can afford to lose another piece of open public space.
City Square has historically served as an open breathing space in the heart of Kampala, offering residents a place to rest, meet and move through the central business district.
Residents who oppose commercialisation of the site are likely to question whether a hotel and shopping complex would serve the wider public better than an open urban space.
One Kampala resident’s concern could be summed up simply: “Where will ordinary people go to rest in the city centre if every open space is turned into a commercial building?”
Another concern among residents is that modernisation should not automatically mean privatisation of public spaces.
“We need development, but development should also leave something for the ordinary Kampala resident,” a city resident said.
The debate is particularly sensitive because Kampala has been struggling with congestion, limited pedestrian space and the pressure created by commercial activity in the central business district.
KCCA has this year undertaken extensive enforcement against illegal trading and the misuse of public infrastructure, arguing that public spaces must serve their intended purpose.
The Military And City Square
The controversy also comes against the background of City Square’s changing role over the past decade.
For years, the space has not functioned in the same way it did when political parties and civic groups could use it for public rallies and gatherings. The space has instead been associated with a heavy security presence.
Security concerns reportedly intensified after authorities assessed that opposition political gatherings in the area could potentially create a direct route towards State House, raising fears among security officials about attempts to force political change through mass mobilisation.
As a result, the space has effectively been removed from the normal political life of the capital.
The development proposal therefore introduces another question: after years of restricted public use, should City Square now become a commercial development site?
The answer will depend on the legal status of the land, the planning framework governing it and the decisions taken by KCCA and other relevant authorities.
Bulwadda’s Growing Profile
Bulwadda is not a newcomer to Uganda’s property and public affairs scene. He is associated with Bulwadda Estates and has previously been involved in real-estate activities around Kampala and Wakiso.
In 2024, he attracted public attention after donating land in Mityana to people evicted from the Lubigi wetland.
Bulwadda has also previously presented housing ideas to President Museveni.
His latest proposal would, however, place him at the centre of a much bigger urban-development debate because City Square occupies a highly strategic location in Kampala.
‘A Presidential Letter Is Not Law’
The City Square proposal also comes at a time when questions are being raised about the legal weight of presidential correspondence concerning urban land and developments.
Recently, Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises, while examining another Kampala development, stressed that presidential correspondence cannot by itself replace statutory requirements.
During the inquiry into the Ham Shopping Grounds project, committee chair Joel Ssenyonyi Mpaka observed that “a presidential letter is not law”, adding that such communication must be implemented within the confines of the law.
That position could become relevant if the City Square proposal proceeds beyond the study stage. For now, President Museveni has asked Kabanda to examine the proposal, consult KCCA and report back. The critical question for Kampala residents is what happens next.
Will City Square remain a public urban space, be redesigned as a public-private facility, or eventually be converted into a commercial complex?
Until KCCA and the responsible authorities complete their assessment, there is no evidence in the President’s letter that City Square has already been given away to Bulwadda.
But the presidential directive has undoubtedly opened the door to a potentially explosive battle over who owns, controls and ultimately benefits from one of Kampala’s most visible pieces of public land.
Author Profile
- Mr. Stephen Kasozi Muwambi is a seasoned crime investigative writer, majoring in judicial-based stories. His two decades’ experience as a senior investigative journalist has made him one of the best to reckon on in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected]
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