The High Court’s acting Justice Douglas Karekona Singiza has ruled against the government’s decision and directed the approval of Watoto Church’s development plans into a 12-storey building comprising a three-star hotel, a 3,000-seat auditorium, a shopping center, and a youth center.
The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) had declined to issue a permit for the reconstruction in 2019, citing the site’s designation as a national heritage monument.
The judge overturned the KCCA ruling and issued a judicial order instructing the KCCA and National Physical Planning Board (NPPB) to reassess the mixed-use development proposals within three months. Singiza emphasized that without any by-law specifically designating Watoto Church as a national heritage site, it was unreasonable for KCCA and NPPB to reject the church’s redevelopment plans
“The idea that they could hide behind the wings of the other government bodies to reject the Watoto Church and Kampala Playhouse mixed-use development plan was not only illegal but manifestly irrational,” Dr. Singiza rules.
