Sustainable Urbanisation: Shelter, Health and Education of Internal Migrants in Kampala Capital City

Abstract

The study investigated access to education and health, and conditions of shelter, including sanitation and garbage management, of internal migrants living in Kampala Capital City (KCC). Data was collected from a sample of 388 households, focus groups and key informants from five KCC divisions, namely; Central, Kawempe, Makindye, Nakawa and Rubaga. Analysis of data was undertaken using descriptive statistics and content analysis techniques. The report was drafted after triangulating of findings obtained through different tools. The Study was supported by Uganda National Commission for UNESCO (UNATCOM). Key Conclusions: The following key conclusions were drawn from the study results. 1) Specified data on internal migrants are lacking; hence the need to develop a system of managing administrative data on migration to inform on urbanization. 2) Kampala Capital City will continue to have youthful populations who lack tertiary education and vocational skills, thus inadequately prepared to compete in formal job markets, lack the entrepreneurial competences to create employment for themselves and others, and will continue earning low incomes. 3) Self employment is dominant among internal migrants, but the majority lack capital and entrepreneurial skills to boost their enterprises, hence a majority will continue running petty businesses that are not competitive and of a scale to reduce unemployment internal migrants. 4) Awareness of education services was high among internal migrants but a systematic awareness campaigns are required to ensure that any internal migrant who arrives at any location in the city is informed about different levels of education services available and how they may benefit from them. 5) Awareness of health services was very high, and internal migrants had more access to private than public sources, and quality of health services was good. 6) Individuals were responsible for meeting costs of health services, which were high in most cases. 7) The dominant type of shelter was one roomed buildings, and most were located in crowded areas with poor access roads, water and public facilities. 8) Sanitation remained a challenge and potentially health risk due to poor management of waste and poor access to safe drinking water. 9) Makeshift shelter made of card boards and old iron sheets provided accommodation in slums and most fragile areas of the city, such as along the railway line or the fringes of wetlands. 10) Internal migrants’ three areas of priority were education, food and health care. 11) Internal migrants had limited knowledge of organizations that provided services in KCC. Recommendations: The study recommends as follows: 1) The KCCA is encouraged to collaborate with UBOS to design appropriate data collection instruments that are easy to administer, train and build the capacity of CDOs and relevant staff to work with Parish and Village leaders to collect administrative data on population movements in the city. Such a system for the collection of administrative data will enable the generation of information on different categories of populations and migrants as they enter to settle or relocate to other areas within or outside Uganda. The availability of regular information on various categories of the city population and their movement will help the Division technical and political leaders, development partners, business sector and NGOs to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate services delivery to different and targeted populations in Kampala Capital City. 2) Led by the KCCA, there should be continuous engagement with the unemployed youth to identify what livelihood ventures they may undertake on their own to enable such ventures to be linked to existing or planned programmes of the government Youth Livelihood and Women Funds and initiatives of different stakeholders, to improve opportunities for employment creation, income generation, and better conditions of living of the youth. 3) The KCCA to develop programmes that promote linkage with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to employ and train youths in vocational skills. Such programmes will increase the chances of employability, especially in the ever increasing openings in the ICT, construction and manufacturing industries. Involvement of the SMEs can help create and expand more opportunities available at the government women and youth funds. 4) The KCCA and Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to increase and improve the planning of settlements in the city. The city population to be sensitized by the KCCA and stakeholders on the requirements for housing settlements, and on the need to adhere to the approved settlement plans as well as guidelines on the nature of buildings required for specific areas in the city. The communities in the city should also be informed about the procedures for housing construction and penalties for defiance, and actions the KCCA takes on unlawful slums expansion and destruction of the ecosystems. 5) The KCCA is encouraged to collaborate more with the Ministry of Water and Environment, development partners, business sector and NGOs to increase access to safe drinking water. Led by the KCCA, community sensitization by all stakeholders in respective divisions to be increased on the dangers of drinking from unprotected wells and springs, possibility of contracting and increasing water borne diseases such as cholera, and the need for all city residents to engage in safe sanitation practices including the use of appropriate latrines and adoption of hand washing practices at household, institutions and public places. 6) The KCCA and the political, technical and community leadership to adhere to the bottom-up planning arrangements in the Uganda decentralization policy framework. Such arrangements will guarantee the participation of different categories of the population, within the gender and rights based approach, in identifying priorities for integration into services delivery activities that end in the KCCA annual work plans, and programmes of the development partners, NGOs and private sector for implementation. 7) The KCCA, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, political, technical and community leaders at all levels, development partners, NGOs and private sector, to sensitize city communities through various media, on available services by different providers at the Village / Zone level of each division of the city. 8) Information on urbanization demands regular research studies; it is therefore recommended that the KCCA enters into collaborative arrangements in form of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with universities and research organizations within and outside Uganda to study and publish, in academic and other internationally recognized journals, urbanization issues of KCC and their effects on different categories of the population in the city. Such publications will increase knowledge and contribute to information uptake and actions relevant to Uganda’s preparedness to rapid urbanization of Kampala city and other urban areas.