The government says the World Bank has threatened to withdraw funding for the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area-Urban Development Program (GKMA-UDP) should the implementing municipalities fail to integrate environment and social policies in its design and implementation. State minister for Kampala Kabuye Kyofatogabye says as the funder, the World Bank has tasked the government to respect human rights in the process of acquiring the right of way for the road projects, planting trees along the newly built roads, ensuring no pollution, and avoiding destruction of swamps.

“The project looks at roads, markets and drainage systems. But the environmental safeguards are very crucial in the implementation of the projects, and if our entities are not sensitized about this, the World Bank says will lead to the cancellation of the program,” he says

The key question to answer is: are the markets and roads going to be constructed in Swamps? Are they going to lead to massive destruction of trees and swamps? What is the air quality around these places? He added.

The GMKA-UDP, valued at $566 million, focuses on road upgrades, drainage infrastructure, workspace establishment, and strengthening institutional capacity for coordinated planning and investment in infrastructure. The Government is hopeful that the program will contribute to the fulfillment of Uganda vision 2040 and the Third and Fourth National Development Plans. The program is geared towards implementing part of the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Economic Development Strategy, 2020-20230