Lira City Council Allocates 834 Million Shillings for Mayor’s Garden Beautification

Lira City Council has allocated 834 million shillings for fencing the mayor’s garden to enhance revenue collection and prevent land encroachment.

This sum is part of the 2.5 billion shillings in additional funding from the World Bank under the Uganda Support to Municipal Development project (USMID-AF). The contract for the work has been awarded to a private company, Dubai Garden Centre (U) Limited.

This project, which involves planting trees and flowers and erecting more structures at the city council premises, is expected to be completed by June 28, 2024.

According to the breakdown of the project components, beautification and landscaping will cost 82 million shillings, erecting a chain link fence will cost 188 million shillings, constructing the guardhouse will cost 195 million shillings, constructing the public toilet will cost 180 million shillings, constructing the canteen and restaurant will cost 115 million shillings, and constructing the vehicle shed will cost 60 million shillings.

Lira City Town Clerk, Theophilus Tibihika, stated that the smooth running of the USMID project was the reason for the bonus funding that benefited several cities and municipalities across the country, including Lira City.

Sam Atul, Lira City mayor, said that once the works are complete, the revenue stream of Lira City Council will increase through the hiring of garden space, canteen, and restaurants.

Atul emphasized that beautification has more than just aesthetic value. “The gardening aspect will give us space behind the council building, which can be hired for social functions,” Atul said.

He urged the people of Lira to trust in their decisions, even though they were not consulted on which project the city should undertake with the 2.5 billion shillings from USMID. “We are doing it in the spirit of promoting Lira City to the world,” he added.

Leonard Otika, Lira City Environment Officer, said that the dream of having a green, pleasing, and healthy environment in the city is now becoming a reality. “It has been something we have been yearning for years. I am very happy that we are moving forward as a city. We should not just be talking; we want to be seen doing things. We need to live in a pleasing environment,” Otika said.

Alfred Okello from Dubai Garden Center Uganda Ltd. expressed optimism that the project would be completed within the stipulated time. “We pledge a good job. We shall commit ourselves to executing this project within the record period. We will not compromise on quality because we are hoping this will make Lira a modern city,” Okello said.