Housing is Where Dignity Begins, Says Entebbe Mayor at Global Diaspora Conference
At a Global diaspora conference on Advancing socio-economic and Environmental Transformation towards the realization of Agenda 2026, His Worship the Mayor of Entebbe, Fabrice Brad Rulinda, delivered a powerful address on the personal and political urgency of housing, representing both his city and Uganda on the international stage.
In his speech, Mayor Rulinda reframed the housing debate, moving beyond statistics to focus on human dignity. “Housing is often discussed in numbers—units, costs, deficits—but in reality, it is something far more personal,” he said. “It is where dignity begins. It is where stability is built. It is where people begin to believe in tomorrow.”
However, he warned that for many across Africa’s growing cities, this foundation remains uncertain. Speaking specifically about Entebbe, he cited pressures from a rising population, limited land, and surging demand for space.
“The task before us is simple in principle, but demanding in execution: we must get ahead of our growth,” Rulinda stated.
He argued that informality is not a choice but a necessity born from failed planning. “When cities do not plan for people, people will plan for themselves,” he cautioned.
The Mayor outlined three pillars for sustainable urban development:
- Affordability: “A city cannot function properly if the people who work in it cannot live in it. When housing becomes inaccessible, what we create is not development, but displacement.”
- Planned Infrastructure: He insisted that roads, drainage, water, and sanitation must define where and how cities grow, rather than chasing after struggling settlements.
- Environmental Respect: Noting Entebbe’s position along Lake Victoria, Rulinda stressed that nature is part of the city. “When we ignore natural systems, we do not eliminate risk, we accumulate it. Sustainability is not a luxury. It is a necessity.”
He concluded that without proactive, people-centered housing policies, cities risk weakening the very fabric that holds them together.
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