Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi raised the matter in Parliament on Wednesday following the circulation of letters concerning a proposal by city businessman Hajj Hassan Bulwadda to redevelop the approximately two-acre public green space in central has asked the government to clarify whether it is considering a proposal to replace Kampala’s Constitutional Square, commonly known as City Square, with a commercial complex.
Ssenyonyi raised the matter in Parliament on Wednesday following the circulation of letters concerning a proposal by city businessman Hajj Hassan Bulwadda to redevelop the approximately two-acre public green space in central Kampala.
Bulwadda, in a letter dated August 18, 2026, reportedly proposed the development of a solar-powered, eco-friendly modern commercial and business complex featuring a hotel Speaker, we did see a letter written by the head of state titled proposal for the development of a solar-powered eco-friendly modern commercial and business complex at City Square,” Ssen bring requests here for Parliament to approve before they do lease because that’s our mandate and so I thought Parliament should not be locked outside and many things are happening and then we end up doing, shopping mall and other commercial facilities.
The proposal attracted public attention after a letter purportedly authored by President Yoweri Museveni and dated August 30, 2026, also circulated online. In the letter, the President reportedly directed Kampala Minister Minsa Kabanda to study the proposal with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and report back.
The letter was also copied to Vice President Jessica Alupo and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.
Speaking in Parliament, Ssenyonyi said Parliament should be involved in any decision concerning the future of the public space, particularly because KCCA has previously sought parliamentary approval for some leases.
“A couple of days ago, Mr. Speaker, we did see a letter written by the head of state titled proposal for the development of a solar-powered eco-friendly modern commercial and business complex at City Square,” Ssenyonyi said.
“He was writing to the Minister for Kampala that there is a businessman who is proposing that that green space at City Square should be replaced with a shopping mall and a complex.”
Ssenyonyi said he had raised the matter because Parliament should not be excluded from discussions involving public assets and spaces under its oversight.
“Now, I’m raising this issue even though it was not written to Parliament because Parliament is concerned that it is a key stakeholder,” he said.
He noted that KCCA has, on several occasions, brought requests to Parliament for approval before proceeding with leases, arguing that lawmakers should not be informed only after decisions have already been made.
“In fact, a number of times KCCA has had to bring requests here for Parliament to approve before they do lease because that’s our mandate and so I thought Parliament should not be locked outside and many things are happening and then we end up doing post-mortem,” Ssenyonyi said.
The Opposition leader called on the government to clarify whether the proposal is officially under consideration and what it would mean for one of Kampala’s remaining public green spaces.
“So I thought we would ask government to speak to us about this issue. Is it actually true? Is government actually considering to give away one of the few remaining green spaces we have in our city?” he asked.
Ssenyonyi argued that Kampala needs more public green spaces rather than fewer.
“We actually should be looking to create a lot more green spaces. So when we hear that one of the few remaining ones, there’s a proposal to give it away, it is alarming, it’s problematic,” he said.
The proposal has also triggered public debate, with concerns centred on the future of City Square, public access to the space and the procedure through which any redevelopment or lease would be approved.
