By Philip Mwakio

A Bill seeking to establish a planning and building authority under the Ministry of Housing is to be tabled in Parliament.

Once established, the authority will regulate all planning and building activities.

Housing Minister Soita Shitanda said the authority would bring together professionals in the building sector under same regulations, making co-ordination easy.

"Planning services will be harmonised," said Shitanda.

The Minister spoke at this year’s World Habitat Day that was held at the Ziwa la Ngombe scheme, Kisauni District.

The Bill emanates from an earlier committee launched by Prime Minister Raila Odinga to spearhead the review of building laws and regulations. The committee consisted of representatives from the private sector, education and research institutions as well as public institutions.

"The mandate of this committee was to review and harmonise planning and building laws and regulations governing building and housing industry," said Shitanda.

He was accompanied by Assistant Minister Margaret Wanjiru, PS Housing Ministry Tirop Kosgey, Kisauni MP Ali Hassan Joho, Coast Provincial Commissioner Ernest Munyi, Mombasa Mayor Ahmed Mohdhar and Kisauni District Commissioner Tom Anjere.

In her address, Uganda’s Permanent representative to the UN Habitat and representatives of the African diplomatic corps, Agnes Kalibala said the campaign on urban planning should be all-inclusive.

"For such ventures to succeed, it is vital to involve all sectors," she said.