Cabinet has dropped a proposal to hand over Kampala City Square, formally known as Constitutional Square, for redevelopment, insisting that the site’s existing legal and protected status must be maintained.
The decision was confirmed by the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology, Justine Kasule Lumumba, during a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre.
Lumumba said Cabinet reached the decision after considering the site’s historical significance, legal protection, and environmental and urban planning concerns raised by the proposed redevelopment.
She added that the government has no immediate plans to redevelop the square, unless the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, which is responsible for tourism sites, decides otherwise.
Asked whether Hajji Hassan Bulwadda, who had expressed interest in redeveloping the square, would be offered Nakivubo Settlement Primary School in exchange, Lumumba said the matter had not been discussed by Cabinet.
On the question of possible compensation for city businessman Hajji Hassan Basajja Balaba, who has also claimed leasehold rights over the land, Lumumba said the Attorney General would advise the government on the appropriate course of action.
Constitutional Square has been a protected heritage site since 2007 and is recognised under the Museums and Monuments Act, 2023, as well as a heritage protection instrument issued in 2024.
The protected area covers approximately 1.172 hectares and comprises Plots 5, 6 and 7. It also hosts the 1945 War Memorial, which commemorates Ugandan soldiers who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars.
The proposal to redevelop the square followed a directive by President Yoweri Museveni to the Minister for Kampala, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, and her team to assess the viability of Bulwadda’s request to develop the site into a shopping mall and other buildings.
Cabinet’s decision effectively halts the proposed redevelopment, preserving the square’s status as a protected historical landmark in the heart of Kampala.
By Olivia Nabaggala
27th Oct 2026
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