As authorities continue to enforce the trade order directive, owners of dilapidated and illegal buildings in Kabale town are rushing to demolish and rebuild, and the ripple effect is putting money in the pockets of surveyors, architects, hardware dealers, masons and timber traders.
According to Kabale Deputy Town Clerk Mr Eric Sunday, all affected property owners must first have their plots surveyed and secure approved building plans before they can construct new structures.
‘The construction of the new houses must follow the physical development plans of our municipality where places designated for commercial, residential and industrial must serve the intended purpose,’ Mr Sunday said.
The directive has boosted local businesses as residents scramble for services and materials. It has also created an unexpected income stream for LC1 chairpersons who earn from witnessing and signing land sale agreements, as some affected owners opt to sell their plots rather than meet the urban authority’s building standards.
Mr. Joram Bwambale, proprietor of Macro Hardware and Macro Engineering Services in Kabale town, says demand for cement, iron bars, iron sheets and nails has nearly doubled.
‘The customers for building materials have almost doubled and I believe it is related to the implementation of the trade order as the affected people buy them to construct houses that meet the required standards of the municipal council authority. Before the implementation of the trade order we used to get about 50 customers for building materials but after the implementation of the trade order customers for building materials almost doubled,’ Mr. Bwambale said.
Masons are also feeling the surge. Mr. Rodney Muhwezi, a senior mason in Kabale town, says their services are now in high demand.
‘The payment for a mason per day ranges between Shs 50,000 and Shs 25,000 depending on the seniority while that of the porters ranges between Shs 20,000 and Shs 10,000 depending on their expertise. Although the trade order implementation disorganized local residents because of its abrupt implementation, it has helped some service providers to earn an extra income,’ Mr. Muhwezi said.
Professional fees have also gone up. Architects are charging between Shs 1 Million and Shs 2 Million to produce building plans depending on size and location, while surveyors demand between Shs 2 Million and Shs 3 Million to process land titles.
The trade order has had mixed effects on other groups. Kabale District Khadi Sheikh Kabu Lule said roadside timber traders were initially hit hard, but the municipal council’s decision to allow them to rent a 2-acre piece of Muslim land has helped.
‘After the Kabale municipal council authorities allowed us to rent out our 2-acre piece of land to the timber traders that were affected by the trade order, we get about Shs 100,000 per month from these dozens of traders currently using our land. If they can remain operating on our land for about 3 years, the Mosque administration will get some good money that can be used to support other development projects of the Islam,’ Sheikh Kabu Lule said.
Timber trader Mr. Erasmus Tumuhekye said relocation from the road reserve was disruptive, but rebuilding has revived sales.
‘There is scarcity of timber in Kabale town not necessarily because of the trade order implementation but also issues related to fuel price increases globally. The price of a piece of timber that measures 4×2 increased from Shs 3,300 to Shs 4,000 while that of 6×2 increased from Shs 4,300 to Shs 5,000,’ Mr. Tumuhekye said.
Kabale District Staff Surveyor Ms. Prosper Aheisiibwe noted a slight rise in land title applications in municipalities where the trade order is being enforced, though rural sub-counties remain largely unaffected.
‘The advantage of having your land titled is that there is proof of land ownership with defined boundaries, helps in organized development and urbanization, securing a mortgage among others. Bureaucracies involved in getting the land title should be reduced if the people are to be timely served. Why should the members of the area land committee come from the sub county yet the LC1 chairman and his committee can do the same work with ease since they are all residents of the same area that can tell who owns what in the village,’ Ms. Aheisiibwe said.