Characterising Urban Expansion Patterns in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area of Uganda

Nestor Mugabe; Mavhungu Elias Musitha

doi:10.25159/2663-6689/19276

Authors

Nestor Mugabe Makerere University https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7089-0656
Mavhungu Elias Musitha University of South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6887-9865

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6689/19276

Keywords:

urban expansion, urban expansion patterns, urban planning, water scarcity

Abstract

The study aimed at analysing urban expansion patterns in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) of Uganda and their impact on water scarcity. The study adopted a mixed-method approach to analyse urban expansion patterns in the GKMA. A sample of 400 households from the GKMA was selected, alongside 15 key informants who represented the policymakers and regulators of the urban water supply institutions, namely the Directorate of Water Development, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, the Kampala Capital City Authority Physical Planning Unit and Division Planners, District Planners, the National Planning Authority and the Ministry of Local Government. Data collection involved using researcher-administered questionnaires (n = 400), focus-group discussions (n = 8), and personal interviews with key informants (n = 15). The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the urban growth patterns. The study findings identified four distinct types of urban expansion pattern in the GKMA: extension, linear expansion, sprawl and large-scale project patterns. The study established that the infilling pattern does not exist significantly in the GKMA. With the exception of the infilling expansion pattern, the study established that the rest of the urban expansion patterns were significantly related to water scarcity. The study underscores the need for stricter urban planning policies in the GKMA, which should focus on regulating sprawl and large-scale patterns, while promoting planned expansions such as extension and linear growth patterns.

Author Biography

Mavhungu Elias Musitha, University of South Africa

Department of Development Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

PhD

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