| | | | | Introduction
Entebbe was nominated by UN-HABITAT, in consultation with the Lake Victoria Regional Cooperation (LVRLAC), to participate in the Second Generation Lake Victoria City Development Strategies (CDS) for Improved Urban Environment and Poverty Reduction programme. Entebbe, together with Bukoba (Tanzania) and Homa Bay (Kenya) were inducted into the initiative at a workshop held in Kampala in May, 2005 to introduce the three cities to the CDS process. A second workshop was held in Entebbe in July 2005 for the six Lake Victoria CDS cities - Bukoba and Musoma (Tanzania), Entebbe and Kampala (Uganda), and Homa Bay and Kisumu (Kenya)- to build the capacities of the participating cities by training of trainers in the CDS process. 
| | Entebbe is home to the only international airport in Uganda. It also plays host to regional organizations including Lake Victoria Regional Authorities Cooperation (LVRLAC) and the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI). |
Historical Background
Entebbe municipality derives its name from the Luganda word 'e ntebe' (meaning 'seat' or 'chair') referring to the rocky seats on the shores of Lake Victoria which were carved by Mugula, a Muganda traditional Chief in the early 18th Century. Entebbe became the capital city of Uganda in 1894 following a decision in 1893 by the then colonial Governor Sir Gerald Portal to relocate from Kampala. At Uganda's independence in 1962 the capital reverted to Kampala leaving Entebbe with the State House, the International Airport and a few Ministry Headquarters and government departments. Geographical Features Location: Entebbe lies is 37 kilometers southeast of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Situated in Wakiso District, the municipality is located on a peninsular in Lake Victoria covering a total area of 56.2 square kilometers, out of which 20 square kilometers is under water. Climate and Vegetation: The municipality has a humid tropical climate with mean monthly temperatures between 25 and 27 degrees centigrade. The lowest temperature ever recorded is 15 degrees centigrade. Topography: The municipality lies is at an altitude of between 1200 and 1325 meters above sea level. Lake Victoria and Taita Bay are in the southeast and southwest respectively. Tourist Facilities: There are a number of tourist facilities like animal and bird sanctuaries, the zoo (Uganda Wild Life Education Center), historical sites, leisure parks, hotels, luxuriant sand beaches, and sports facilities such as playgrounds and a golf course. These features make the town an ideal tourist destination. Population
The 2002 census put Entebbe Municipality's population at a total of 55,086 people of whom 27,135 are males and 27,951 females. The Municipality has 14,216 households with a mean household size is of 3.8. Administration
The municipality has 2 territorial Divisions (Division A and B), each of which has two wards (parishes), Kigungu ward, Kiwafu ward, Central ward and Katabi ward. The wards are further subdivided into 24 sub wards. Political Structure
The Municipality is headed by a mayor and has 19 councillors, 7 of whom constitute the Executive Committee. The role of the Municipal Executive Committee is to initiate and formulate policies for approval by the Council. It also oversee the implementation of policies made by the Council and by the Central Government. Socio-Economic Setup
The groups that contribute to the social economic development of Entebbe Municipality include civil servants, contractors, casual laborers, pensioners, artisan, brick makers, vehicle repairers, fisher folk, farmers, traders, hoteliers and aviation related occupations. According to the 1999 poverty mapping and the 2005 report released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) the poverty levels in Entebbe are low and decreasing. However there are certain areas that are specifically afflicted by poverty namely; Lwamunyu Island and Musoli landing site, in Kigungu ward, Lugonjo-Nakiwogo and Kitoro Central in Kiwafu ward, and Katabi-Busambaga in Katabi ward. These particular areas are characterized by high population densities, are underserved by public facilities and some are relatively hard to reach. Urban Public Infrastructure Services Access to Safe Water: The main source of potable water in the Municipality is the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) water works, which has a pumping capacity of 7600 cubic meters per day. Sewerage System: The NWSC, is responsible for both water supply and sewerage. The only sewer line, which was limited to some parts of Bugonga, is no longer functional.The sanitation situation is further exacerbated by poor disposal of solid waste including plastic bags and ingress of foreign matter such as stones into the sewer, which clog them. Access to Electricity: Two high voltage (33 kilovolt) incoming lines from Kampala (Entebbe1 and Entebbe2) serve the municipality. Education
The education sector is viewed as being more gender sensitive compared to other sectors. It has been realized that in some schools, enrolment of girls is higher than that of boys, which was not the case before. The universal primary education program has seen the total enrolment in primary schools rising each academic year. According to the Education Census carried out in 2003 enrolment at pre-primary level is 1,029 children, for primary schools is 13,425 children and that of secondary schools is 6,009 students for both private and government aided schools. Solid Waste Management
With the increasing population, the volume of solid waste in the municipality is increasing beyond the capacity of the municipality to adequately handle. Waste generated in the municipality comprises organic material mainly from households as well as raw vegetable matter from markets. In addition there is commercial/industrial waste from offices, retail shops, warehouses and hotels. Only 20% of the refuse generated is stored and collected for disposal. The rest is put in gardens or composed on sites or compounds. Solid waste management problems include insufficient transport as well as inadequate supply of containers/skips. Environmental Issues
Increasing economic activity in the lake and along its shores poses a danger to the sustainability of both the renewable and non-renewable resources. The overexploitation of renewable resources in excess of the regenerative capacity is a serious environmental concern. These activities include over fishing, timber harvesting, brick making, sanding mining, reclaiming of swamps, noise and air pollution. Poor solid waste management contributes to environmental degradation resulting pollution. Interventions
• Restrictive measures have been put in place to control sand mining and brick makers.
• Council is promoting tree planting for shed, ornamental and fruit trees alongside the reserve areas of roads
• Council is promoting better land use for urban agriculture and farming through the Community and Home Improvement Program.
• Council is promoting water harvesting especially in schools, valley dams and the use of tanks especially in dry belts
• It is promoting careful handling, storage and disposal of medical wastes, solid wastes and waste oils at the temporary yard
• It is encouraging proper land scalping Poverty Related Issues
Entebbe Municipality lies in the Central Region that stands out to be the least poor Region in Uganda in both Rural and Urban areas. According to the 1999 Poverty Mapping, Entebbe had only 12% of her population living below the poverty line and the lowest poverty gap (3) as compared to other Counties in Wakiso District. Poverty Trends: According to a recent report released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Where are the poor?), Poverty levels in the Municipality are encouraging, showing widespread and large decreases in the incident of poverty across the Municipality. Poverty Pockets: The most hit areas include Lwamunyu island, Misoli, Kigungu Lugonjo Nakiwogo, Katabi Busambagaand Kitoro central. This is mostly attributed to poor saving habits, lack of skills and capital . Transportation, Trade and Industry
Trade, industry and transportation are at the heart of the livelihood in Entebbe Municipality .In spite of this importance, the Municipal Council's regulatory framework has not deeply touched these activities. For most part, the Council's operation only touches on the licensing and there is limited supervision over the growth of these activities. Transport Facilities. Transport is mainly by road and is operated by the private sector. The town hosts the only international airport in Uganda, handling both international and domestic flights. Trade. The council pioneered reform in trade licensing known as Regulatory Reform, the success of which won Entebbe the African Award for Regulatory Best Practices for the year 2004. There has been growth of business especially at the airport and in the Kitoro side of the town. There has been a revival of cooperative societies which has helped in mobilizing resources for small groups Industry. Most of the industrial activities are at small scale and include bakeries, welding and carpentry workshops. There has been growth in the fish processing industry with two main processing factories in operation. Major Policy Changes and Initiatives
- The Fiscal Decentralization Strategy
- Restructuring of Local Governments Productive partners to involve in the CDS Process
• Community representatives
• Transporters
• Institutions
• Business Community
• Civil Society organizations
• Women
• Youth
• People with Disabilities
• Religious leaders
Forecast of the desired future situation
• A town with well developed infrastructure
• Secure sources of income for the people
• Employment opportunities
• A buoyant local Economy.
• Proper solid waste disposal
• Reduced sand mining and Brick laying
• Proper resource allocation and improved service delivery
• A knowledgeable and flexible community with maximum awareness of Environmental Concerns.
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