Cities Alliance Project Output
Scaling Up STDM 2014: Putting Uganda’s Informal Settlements on the Map
Addressing the Land Information Requirements of the Urban Poor – Phase 2: Scaling Up the Use and Application of the Social
Tenure Domain Model (STDM)
P126966
This project output was created with Cities Alliance grant funding.
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SCALING UP STDM 2014; PUTTING UGANDA’S INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS ON
THE MAP
The UN-HABITAT and Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) has been supporting Uganda to
appreciate the open source software package; Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) to address
the land tenure relations in the slums and informal settlements alike. Since its pilot in mid-2011,
in Mbale, Eastern Uganda as a joint activity between Slum/ Shack Dwellers International (SDI)
and GLTN/UN Habitat and supported by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban
Development (MLHUD) the STDM tool has registered significant success through the
relationship it has built with different stakeholders especially between governments at the local
and central levels and local communities .The truth the process has unearthed in the informal
settlements and slums through the collection of critical community data in some kind of appraisal
where they get to check the services in their neighborhood and the gaps that might exist has been
tremendous. Reality in the slums and informal settlements has generated a discussion around
what can be done about the situation and in this way empowered communities to approach local
governments, begin negotiations and lobbying using their newly acquired data , form
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partnerships and eventually become authors of their own development. STDM has made it
possible for local experience and insight to guide development and inform development by
exploring the complexities of slums. The tool’s ability to capture a continuum of rights aside
from land such as water, sanitation, education gaps among others existing in the slums makes it
unique and popular to the many regionally and nationally federated communities under the
National Slum Dwellers of Uganda.
STDM borrowed heavily from the government led Transforming Settlements of the Urban Poor
in Uganda (TSUPU) program launched in 2010 and complimented the programs objectives. Both
programs have empowered communities living in the informal settlements by ensuring
communities are at the driving seat on interventions affecting them, guide towards orderly
planning in the settlements/slums and initiate multi-stakeholders forums which bring together all
persons with a stake in the settlement, town, and city .
Between the 3rd
and 5th
of February.2014, an STDM workshop was held in Mbale to look into
the expansion of the program to 4 additional municipalities in Uganda; Tororo,Masaka,Entebbe
and the entire Mbale municipality where the tool was first piloted in the context of profiling and
mapping informal settlements in the aforementioned municipalities using the tool .Soon after, the
aforementioned cities were profiled and mapped by local communities within these towns using
the STDM questionnaire .Data centres were opened up in these municipalities and equipped with
a computer and a photocopying machine. Data analysis and management was also done and
information disseminated to communities and their local governments by August 2014.
As a follow up to these activities, a workshop was held between the 7th
and 12th
of September
2014 to look into the consolidation of lessons and experiences of the pilot work thus far and how
the municipalities were performing .The workshop was also expected to discuss the technical
needs existing in these municipalities and what was required to sustain the ongoing activities
with a possibility of expanding the program to cover 14 municipalities in Uganda.
The five day learning event was held at Entebbe Resort Hotel and had attendees from the
Ministry of Lands ,Housing and Urban Development ,technocrats from the three STDM current
benefiting municipalities (Masaka,Tororo,Entebbe),community members from Mbale where the
tool was first piloted ,representatives from the Institute of survey and Land Management based in
Entebbe, ACTogether Uganda staff, UN HABITAT/GLNT facilitators, SDI coordinator Jack
Makau as well as Kampala federators from 2 Kampala municipalities under the National Slum
Dwellers Federation of Uganda.
The learning event was structured in two phases; phase 1 was carried out in the field where
delegates visited two municipalities –Masaka and Tororo to interact with technocrats and
communities from these municipalities and share on experiences of STDM process there while
visiting their data centres which have been capacitated with equipment to ensure the community
keeps updating their work. In the field, the team was to understand how communities are using
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the data centres and establish whether the information gathered is having an impact on the
municipalities’ on-going projects and programs.
VISIT TO TORORO
On the 8th
of September, delegates visited Tororo municipality, approximately 246.2Km from
Entebbe. On arrival the team was welcomed by the Mayor of Tororo, His Worship Geoffrey
Opua Emokol and other municipal technocrats who included the physical planner Nakiyimba
Goretti, federation leader in Tororo Mr. John Ocharo and several Executive Municipal
Development Forum leaders. In a brief meeting at the mayor’s chambers, His Worship said he
was pleased for Tororo to have been selected to take part in the STDM program because the
process initiates a journey towards addressing community needs. He said his municipality will
use the community generated data to inform planning in Tororo settlements.
Kasooli slum settlement before and after slum upgrading Photo credit/New Vision
He appreciated the data centre set up at the municipal offices with support from UN
Habitat/GLTN where communities entered their information during profiles and where they will
constantly keep updating the same information to ensure they are current with statistics in the
grassroots. His Worship shared that until recently, the data office was in the office of the
Community Development Officer which limited use of the premises by the communities .They
could only access it if the officer was present but through continued lobbying of an office space,
the local community members were granted an office of their own a few weeks back in the
municipal building. This meant that they had a key to the office with a federation member
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assigned the role of managing it. His worship added that his municipality was ready to work with
everyone for the benefit of his people citing the ongoing project at Kasoli funded by the
government of Uganda, UN- Habitat, DFCU bank, Tororo municipal council and Kasoli Savings
and credit cooperative organization.
He regretted the fact that land is still a very contentious issue in Tororo but added that solutions
will always be found if a project is for the benefit of all in Tororo. Nakiyimba Goretti, the
physical planner said the communities are now aware of how many slums exist in Tororo .She
said that since some of the federation members are municipal development forum members she
had no doubt that Tororo was on its way to great transformation because issues within the
informal settlements will be brought to the fore in forum meetings .The team were then ushered
to the data centre where they met federation members who were articulate in explaining how
they entered and managed data collected from the communities .Thereafter ,the team from the
municipal council and that from Entebbe had lunch and later left for Entebbe in preparation for
the next field day in Masaka.
VISIT TO MASAKA MUNICIPALITY
On the 9th
of September, delegates left Entebbe for Masaka municipality for a similar exercise
like what they had had in Tororo. On arrival they were welcomed by federation members of
Masaka and Municipal Development Forum (MDF) representatives who ushered them to the
Mayor’s chambers to pay a courtesy call and have a brief sharing on the purpose of their visit to
Masaka. In the Mayor’s chambers, the team had a meeting chaired by the President MDF
Masaka municipality Luberenga Paul.
Mr. Luberenga welcomed the visiting team to Masaka and said he was very happy to interact
with people who had the development of Masaka as priority .He said that the greatest asset a city
or a town can have is its people noting the central role of the Municipal Development Forum in
mobilizing this asset in Masaka for the purpose of developing their municipality. He thanked the
mayor’s office in Masaka for allowing the MDF to peacefully co-exist in Masaka, to play in the
space that is ideally not gazetted by law.
He praised the STDM program for helping to identify the key principle aspect of Masaka
municipality, the slum dwellers and informal settlement residents. According to the president
MDF, 85 % of Masaka residents live in informal settlements and slums and therefore to develop
Masaka, this percentage has to be involvement. Mr. Luberenga went on to add that STDM
allowed for a people focused development approach because the process allowed communities to
take charge from the onset by ensuring they administer the appraisal collecting the critical data
after fully mobilizing locals from their settlements. He concluded by summing up achievements
in Masaka on STDM; Masaka divisions had been profiled, the data was entered and a data centre
was in place at the Community Development Officer (CDO) office.
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Mr. Jack Makau, SDI representative in the delegation from Entebbe was next to speak. He
briefly shared on the alliance (ACTogether and NSDFU) focus on STDM and how it has
performed thus far .He said different challenges in communities are solved through dialogues
and that STDM uniqueness is the fact that it allows for this dialogue, starting a process that
enables communities build trust between them and their governments to the point where such
information is addressing sensitive issues such as land tenure and what it entails. He was pleased
of the progress registered in Masaka and urged the stakeholders involved to keep focused to
achieve great results in their town.
Danilo Antonio from GLNT said he takes pride in this tool which is giving very good and
encouraging reports from the communities where it has been employed. He was also happy to
learn of the forums which have been introduced in different municipalities and how they interact
with this information helping communities’ articulate issues and as such complimenting the
STDM process.
Olet Sarafino, the physical planner in Masaka said communities embraced the program and what
was needed was the constant updating of this information so that it can be used to inform gaps
that might exist in the towns’ development plans.
The Mayor of Masaka, His Worship Kayemba Afaayo then addressed the meeting .He began by
welcoming all the delegates to Masaka and for going to the town to witness what the STDM had
achieved so far. He said the monitoring element was commendable- when initiators go back to
establish progress .According to him, Uganda is urbanizing day in, day out and there is need to
plan for this urbanization. Land has continued to be a contentious issue in many parts of Uganda
adding that Masaka municipality has not been difficult to administrate on land. On a light note,
His Worship referred to Nyendo division as a ‘super slum’ despite being a home to many people,
some working at the municipal council. He called for immediate address on the situation there
and said that transformation was indeed overdue in Masaka. His Worship identified the STDM
tool as being people centered and one that appreciates people should own their own
development.
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Photo 1: The Mayor of Mbarara ,His Worship Wilson Tumwine and the visiting delegates
The team then went to the data centre where they met federation youth members who were
passionate in explaining how the tool works. As observed by Danilo Antonio from GLTN, ‘a
new generation of STDM professors’ had emerged. Thereafter, the team from the municipal
council and that from Entebbe had lunch and later visited the Masaka Zonal Land Registry office
recently launched by Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD) under the
National Land Information Development Project which aims at minimizing cases of false land
titles and fraudulent land transaction through computerized land information systems. The office
also deals with registration of land titles, lease and free holds, caveats and mortgages among
others. While at the registry office, the team took a tour in the well appointed office led by an
official from the registry office and Mr. Olet Serafino the physical planner of Masaka.
The team then left Masaka for Entebbe in preparation for the two day workshop.
PHASE TWO-WORKSHOP IN ENTEBBE
On the 10th
of September, the delegates who had travelled to Tororo and Masaka were joined by
more representation from the aforementioned towns with an additional member from the
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Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) the legal entity responsible for the operations of
the capital city of Kampala in Uganda.
The moderator for the workshop was Lutwama Medie the programmes coordinator ACTogether
Uganda who kept the discussed lively and focused for the two days.
Prior to commencing the days business, members participated in an exercise in which they were
made to realize that the participation in the workshop was balanced .There was participation of
the civil society ,communities ,local NGO’s ,International NGO’s ,learning institutions and the
government . The moderator then gave a recap of the field activities in Masaka and Tororo for
the benefit of those who had joined the workshop and later shared the program, (See Annex 1).
He communicated that the STDM software had been recently updated creating a simpler version
that could be used by communities at different levels. He also informed the meeting that a
representative of KCCA was present in the workshop and was expected to give the Authority’s
perspective of the tool and how it can be used in capturing land rights in Kampala, the nation’s
capital city.
A volunteer from Entebbe led the meeting into a prayer to bless the deliberations for the day.
REMARKS FROM THE DEPUTY MAYOR ENTEBBE
Simon Kimanye, the deputy mayor of Entebbe municipality welcomed all delegates in Entebbe
and on a light note cautioned the delegates against littering Entebbe town, once declared one of
the cleanest towns in Uganda .He said he had participated in many successful government led
programs and was pleased to have been part of yet another program with a heart for the people; a
program that wants to improve lives of those in the grassroots and who are in most cases
forgotten. Referring to STDM as an enabling tool, the mayor said communities mobilized in
Entebbe have embraced it as a tool that can be used for city planning .He added that having data
per se is not enough because data must be for a particular purpose. He regretted that challenges
had been experienced while conducting the profiles in Entebbe but said learning comes with
challenges. ‘‘Stronger community information centres have been created and the pace has been
set in our town, it is now upon us to drive the process further ’’ he said. .He thanked the SDI
alliance in Uganda for empowering communities with skills and making them aware of what
their communities have and lack. He added that urban challenges will continue to exist and it
was high time for the workshop participants to critically look at number of interventions that can
be employed to combat these challenges of urbanization starting with fully incorporating the
STDM process in their information gathering systems in all municipalities. The mayor then
declared the workshop officially open.
Medie thanked the mayor for his communication and informed members that the ultimate
objective of those driving the STDM process should be to create change to transform their
settlements .He shared that positive reports on works of STDM have been seen to come from
8
Mbale where the tool was first piloted, where service gaps have been addressed as a result of
information collected by this tool. He also commended the communities of Mbale for embracing
the tool and as such giving Uganda more opportunities to benefit from the dialogue the tool had
created.
Jack Makau ,Slum Dwellers International coordinator representative then addressed the session
and explained the rationale of the interaction between the governments, communities and the
STDM process .He said the tool has been a dream that has become a reality .-.He informed that
SDI has collected information in about 338 cities in the world and that the data base had created
strong empowered communities and led to success of these communities especially on how they
interact with the city governments to lobby and negotiate for services in their localities .The tool
developed to initiate a conversation on land rights among other rights gives great pride to the
pioneers who now see the maturity of this conversation .He added that all the 8 profiled
settlements of Mbale where STDM was piloted have projects aimed at making people’s
livelihoods better urging Entebbe to follow suit and work towards the good practices being
replicated to bring positive changes in their respective cities.
Antonio Danilo from GLTN shared that the tool has become a champion in facilitating
negotiations and discussions between communities and governments. Experiences from Mbale
have and continue to bring out the catalytic nature of the tool where it has attracted funding from
the Central government through the TSUPU program to enable communities have both capital
and livelihood projects .He added that Uganda is a model not only in Africa but also in the Asia
Pacific in as far as successes of the tool are concerned.
A representative from the NSDFU Lubega Idris and a national leader who has been at the centre
of collecting this information and teaching communities in the new four municipalities gave his
views on the tool .According to him, the STDM process has been smooth save from some
incidents of resistance in some sections of the communities especially those who felt threatened
because of the data the tool collects on land and tenure relations. Different communities have
reacted in different ways; with some participating because they expect the tool to provide a land
title and with some refusing to participate because they believe information given will lead to
their eviction .To clear this misunderstandings, constant and aggressive sensitization has had to
be done and with time communities have come to appreciate that the tool is a process that is to
drive such talk and not one to deliver the land title to them.
The National leader NSDFU added that data centers created in the four municipalities have made
communities assume a role of managers and drivers of their own development .The centres mean
communities are also in position to interact with this information whenever they want. Lubega
commended Community Development Officers and other technocrats who have worked very
closely with communities in these municipalities.
9
Dan Woniala from Mbale, where the tool was first piloted talked of the initial steps of the STDM
process as being painful with some communities chasing the profilers with machetes because
they did not understand the process .With time however ,the same communities have come to
appreciate what the information collected has been able to do for Mbale informal settlements.
‘‘Presently, we have several taps, several sanitation units, water harvesting projects and more is
coming for the people of Mbale. We even have one of the largest community data centre with
computers and photocopying machine’’, he said .Through the negotiations and dialogue created
by this information ,communities have enabled the aspect of community contracting where
organized groups of Mbale were granted monies as large as 9M to put up sanitation units,
something that was unheard of in the past! .
Entebbe MDF president Mr. Kasaija appreciated the work STDM has been able to accomplish in
Mbale, the cradle of STDM in Uganda .He was also pleased to have used the tool in Entebbe
during the city profiles in June 2014 .He took the opportunity to commend his team –the Entebbe
Municipal Development Forum for the work done to mobilize communities during the profiles
adding that the profiles popularized the MDF in Entebbe as a space that can generate solutions
for their city if information collected can be discussed for common interest .
James Ochwor, a federation leader from Tororo shared that the norm in his municipality has been
for the political leaders organizing meetings to campaign over certain political seats but that this
has changed because communities’ confidence has been built as a result of the STDM process.
Communities now call meetings to discuss issues identified after analyzing the data. ‘‘It is now
information from the grassroots that is finding its way to the municipal level and into the budget
conferences to plan for Tororo’’ he said. Ochwor also shared that he was very happy to be in the
workshop so as to know what was next for Tororo in as far as STDM is concerned .He lamented
on a case that happened last year 2013, where by funds meant for Tororo’s development had to
be taken back to the Central government because they had not been spent; the municipality did
not know where to sink the funds. The council took time to decide where to use the funds and
between the decision making and the stiff Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets
(PPDA) systems, time was up for Tororo, financial period came to a close forcing the council to
surrender the funds. He said that such incidents will never happen because STDM will help them
to keep updating what they require for the settlements of Tororo.
The Community Development Officer of Masaka, Kizza Wilson shared experiences of Masaka
while collecting data using the tool. He said there had been fruitful deliberations in Masaka when
the profiles were taking place because of the massive mobilization undertaken prior to the
activity and the involvement of all stakeholders. The information collected had been entered and
disseminated to the people of Masaka during the launch of the settlement forums .He added that
there was need to ensure practicability of the collected information which led to three divisional
chairpersons leading the federation in Masaka becoming members of the Municipal
Development Forum where issues identified in the profiles are openly discussed to see what
solutions can be arrived at for people in that settlement.
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An interesting case was the interaction between the settlers on road reserves an example being
the Yellow Knife road and the Masaka council in talks led by the Masaka Municipal
Development Forum members. Peaceful negotiations transpired which resulted to the settlers
vacating the road. He said the forum as a space can complement the STDM process to bring
great results for a community. The political will is present in Masaka and there is a favorable
climate to have their municipality develop as a result of using this tool in conducting information
gathering and updating the same to keep it current. Sixty seven (67) groups have been mobilized
under the NSDFU in Masaka.
Mr. Douglas Muwonge, the Community Development Officer Entebbe municipality praised the
STDM tool and said that the process of profiling and use of STDM enlightens those in the
urban fraternity .He said urban dwellers and slums are here to stay and that the proliferation of
slums is a global phenomenon .Mr. Muwonge was of the view that the STDM process enables
slum dwellers to seek out for what they should be having as a right in their settlements .It helps
them recognize the situation they are in and need for change. Speaking of the USMID program,
the officer said there was need to guard against distorted development. ‘‘Even as Entebbe is a
USMID benefiting municipality, infrastructural development should not take place at the
expense of social development ;you might have roads but nobody will use them if the people are
sick and unfit .Physical planning must be accompanied by social and economic planning’’ he
said. He added that the STDM process will guide towards holistic development the social,
infrastructural and economic .According to him, a mental adjustment similar to positive living
with the HIV/AIDS virus is needed towards the transformation of these slums .He also said that
the Entebbe municipality is updating its website and furnishing it with the recent collected
information which is going to be open source and used by all for the development of Entebbe
and Uganda in general.
Delegates were then taken into a session where they were to identify capacity gaps in as far as
STDM is concerned .Jack Makau guided the group into thinking in the lines of placing STDM
data and national data or census .He wanted them to answer the following questions; what are the
similarities between national census and community generated data? , which one is more
thorough? , can they complement each other?
Group 1; ACTogether, MLHUD, LAND SURVEY INSTITUTE, GNLT
This group noted the limitations of a national census like the one Uganda had in August this year
and the gaps it might have because of the minimal time allocated to carry out this activity and the
weather conditions alike .In areas such as Kampala where profiles have just been completed,
information from the slums can be used by the Uganda Bureau of Statics (UBOS) to fill up some
gaps. The profiles however will not provide household data to UBOS but rather settlement data.
Only household enumerations can capture household data.
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National census was noted to have one major problem; delay in analysis of the data which at
times takes a minimum of 1 year .Community profiles were at an advantage here because data
collected is analyzed and given back to communities to verify. It is later disseminated to
communities and local governments to inform planning. All this can be done in three months, a
very short period compared to national census.
Questions of authenticity, ratification and adoption of data collected by communities as opposed
to that collected by UBOS personnel can be answered by involvement of UBOS staff in
subsequent community data collection .The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development
can help in linking the SDI Uganda Alliance to the officials at UBOS where such talks can take
shape. Here the parties can agree on parameters of UBOS and how this data is to be collected.
Community confidence created while carrying out these activities was noted as a major
achievement by this group. Partnerships also continue to add weight to the work of the alliance
and they (alliance) should strive to do this such as the recent formed partnership between
ACTogether and KCCA where the alliance is a member of the Urban Renewal Committee
The strength of STDM tool was noted as seen with the continuous updating of community data
which process keeps the information alive .For instance, Uganda’s last census was in 2002 .Data
from the communities can be used to fill gaps seen in the last 14 years or used to compliment any
other arrangement put by UBOS in collecting information for instance on projected population
data among others.
It was noted that not a single entity of government can update community information with
accuracy and hence the need for concerted efforts. Members noted the need for continuous
support to the created data centers located in the municipalities to ensure that the physical
planners can access information fast and in this way use it and forward it to national offices
whenever there is need to and as such continue placing STDM at a national level.
Bureaucracy in accessing information to be used for planning was noted as an issue of concern.
Ready satellite imagery is available in Uganda but the agencies having it do not want to share it
with others because they consider it sensitive information. ACTogether representatives said they
shared similar sentiments having experienced such issues while profiling in Kampala. A way
forward towards this bureaucracy is to advocate for different professionals complimenting each
other’s work but the question remains on loyalty to the organization where such professionals are
employed.
GROUP TWO
The four municipalities were tasked with the responsibility of identifying what they had
managed to accomplish in the collection of profile data, priorities identified and what the profile
data was currently doing in their cities.
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TORORO
Community profiles identified 8 settlements in Tororo.
Settlements were mobilized and sensitized on NSDFU rituals.
The following were identified as priorities in Tororo municipality
The need for public sanitation units
The need for health facilities
Need for improved housing in the slums; some people are living with their livestock
Data has been disseminated to municipal council to inform planning
Exiting Gaps
Projects have not yet been implemented since we are still in the initial stages but this
need to be done fast.
Prioritization of the community priorities in the five year plan has not been done to
reflect what the Tororo community hold as priority.
Massive mobilization needs to be done to get a buy in from the MDF members so that
they can cooperate with the federation and the council on developing Tororo. Such
sensitization will make the MDF see the need in allocating some funds to the data centre
to ensure it is in good shape to provide necessary information to plan for Tororo.
MASAKA
In Masaka 67 groups have been mobilized and three groups have adopted the federation
ritual of conducting daily saving.
Community profiles were done in all the divisions of Masaka identified as informal
settlement and slums.
The data centre is in place and functional. It is managed by Masaka youth who have
mastered the STDM tool and who can constantly update data from the communities.
There is political will to drive the program in Masaka project; the political leaders
support the program.
Slum dwellers chairpersons frequently interact with the Community Developing Officers
and recently three representatives of settlement forums sit on the Municipal Development
Forum meetings
ENTEBBE
In Entebbe, saving groups have been formed and saving is ongoing.
Community profiles were conducted and data disseminated to people during the
settlement forums launch.
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Information collected is now being used to plan for service delivery .A very interesting
scenario is that National Water Sewerage Company water coverage data/map showing
that Kigungu is well supplied with water yet going by the recent community profiles,
the area is in dire need of water.
The STDM data centre in Entebbe has been set up but the members are sharing with the
office with the Community Developing Officer which limits access.
Existing Gaps
There is need to continuously train the community profilers.
There is also need to equip the office more; probably with the provision of a camera, a
scanner and a GPS machine.
There is need to continuously update the data; for instance a new health centre in Katabi
zone has been completed .This was however not reflected in the June profiles.
MBALE
Mbale was the first municipality to profile two settlements; Mission and Bufumbo using
the STDM tool. The wider Mbale has however have not yet been profiled using the tool
The Mbale representatives said they needed a GPS machine so that they can regularly
update their data.
Projects such as water harvesting, sanitation units, stone peached drainages have been
implemented by communities through community contracting.
Mbale has a large data centre which the community lobbied from the municipal council.
The centre attracts officials from the government and the academia in Mbale.
Reflections on presentations from the four municipalities
Representatives from the Institute of Land and Survey wanted Masaka to explain why there is
political will in Masaka yet history has shown Masaka as a volatile place when it comes to
politics.
The CDO Mr.Kiiza Wilson responded by saying that the secret to this political will and
collaboration is that there has been involvement of leaders right from the onset ,from the
commencement of the program. He went on to explain how things are done in Masaka as
follows; All leaders of Local Council members, municipal technocrats and city agents and now
the Municipal Development Forum members are called into a meeting to introduce any new
project/program for the town of Masaka .The mayor of Masaka gets the first letter to attend any
particular meeting and he always makes time for the people of Masaka .The Resident District
Commissioner is also invited in all meetings and he receives similar letter as that of the Mayor.
Local Council members are not left behind; chairpersons from the different divisions are also
called into the meeting and this ensures there is no opposition at the grassroots and gives room
for peaceful deliberations.
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He added that municipal officials have also been made to understand the role of MDF, a role to
complement their efforts and not to compete with officials at the council.
Keying Data and Management of Data
Frederick Mugisa from ACTogether made a presentation on how data is entered and managed
using the STDM tool
Reaction the Presentation
A representative from the institute of Land and Survey in Entebbe said the session has been very
interesting and one that can provide a different direction on how students are taught at the
institute .He went on to say that the institute has been using SPSS while teaching students on
management of data .According to him, the STDM software was simple and easy to learn and
interpret data too.
Remarks from Bogere Stephen-Senior Sociologist MLHUD
Mr. Bogere thanked the organizers of the workshop and colleagues from the four municipalities
for their participation He said, Uganda is making positive steps from the last interaction that
members had in Mbale in February where the expansion of the STDM program was discussed
and later implemented in Tororo, Masaka and Entebbe. He observed that Mbale residents have
used the data to inform the service gaps they had and that now they have both capital and
livelihood projects that have answered many of the community needs there. He added that
information per se can do nothing unless when used for the right reasons .He urged community
development officers to work within the data provided to put tangible infrastructure in the
settlements because this data comes from the very people these service gaps affect and is
thorough to provide gaps in all sectors-health ,social and livelihood improvement.
Mr. Bogere was of the view that learning institutions should be engaged in the process of
gathering this data to the point of including the tool in their curriculum. According to him,
students from the Institute of survey and Land Management in Entebbe, Makerere University and
many other local universities where information is collected would greatly gain by actively
participating in the process of STDM adding that research is usually challenged by scarcity of
data- and not data per se but reliable data.
The senior sociologist also observed that the Uganda Bureau of Statistics should be part of the
STDM process so as to appreciate efforts made by communities and institutions focused in the
urban agenda in general .According to him, the UBOS personnel have a statistics mind set but
they might not have the beautiful skills that local communities posses so as to generate the rich
data that the STDM tool is able to collect .He called for collaborative efforts and quote ,‘‘We in
the centre of this process must find ways of fine tuning methodologies that can help to generate a
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buy in from many partners. The Private sector needs to be engaged to inform the transformation
we need-.In the different municipalities, five year development plans have been made but this
does not rule out the need to conduct an assessment .We should not end up with data but data for
what?’’
Mr. Bogere cautioned communities against getting comfortable with the situation at present and
forgetting where they came from by ensuring they keep documenting these engagements and
striving to keep a working relationship with their local governments alive .He said the interaction
should be clearly documented so that the lessons can be taken elsewhere .For instance, Mbale
city where the STDM process has had a significant effect should have documented the process;
Where are we now? What has been done so far? , what has been done to gaps identified? What
were the gaps in 2011 and where are we in 2014?
Next to speak was Danilo Antonio from GLTN who reflected on the first day of the workshop by
summarizing the following issues.
STDM has kept the dialogue between communities and their municipalities alive and
transformation of these settlements is set to happen as these partnerships keep growing stronger.
Looking at the future, players should see to it how it can inform national priorities. At individual
level, we should all ask ourselves, what can I do, what can the tool do and what can an institution
do? .Danilo added that for the capacity gaps existing at the data centres, should not incapacitate
communities to continuing the STDM process but instead begin a conversation on how
communities can lobby for what they lack .He said he takes great pride on the new emerging
STDM ‘professors’ like those he interacted with in Masaka and Tororo municipalities.
The Mayor of Entebbe thanked participants for the active engagement and adjourned the session
to meet the following day.
Day 2
The second workshop day began with a recap of the first day which was done by Daniel
Woniala, a community mobilizer from Mbale. Later , members viewed two STDM videos; one
showing the global impact of STDM and one showing its impact in Uganda and specifically the
four municipalities of Masaka, Mbale, Entebbe and Tororo.
Reactions from the videos
Members noted that traditional methods of recognizing land are expensive and STDM can
provide a solution for this because it recognizes multiple owners of land including women who
are in many cases oppressed on matters of land ownership and rights to land. STDM also has an
element of empowering governments to also promote inclusive development if well
comprehended by governments and its people.
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Daniel from Mbale informed the meeting that the video on municipal profiles in Mbale, Entebbe,
Masaka and Tororo summarizes what has been happening in the four municipalities but quickly
added that it should not make other municipalities fear because the process has not been as
smooth as shown in the video. According to him, the process has been a learning process, with
challenges that have been overcome and created a buy in between communities and their local
governments to bring about visible fruits (projects) in the informal settlements.
James Lwanga from KCCA said the video taken in Mbale ,Entebbe, Tororo and Masaka showed
great confidence in the communities participating in the process .He also said that the kind of
relationship they had with their governments was also commendable .The tool’s ability to
increase networking between government and communities and other stakeholders was
tremendous.
Mr. Lwanga added that KCCA has a program to improve slums in Kampala (slum upgrading)
teaming up with the Physical Planning Directorate .He said information captured by this tool
would be greatly appreciated and used to inform the directorate at KCCA.
Next in session was a presentation of the work of the Institute of Land and Survey Institute and
their views on STDM.
Mr. Bosco, a lecturer at the institute said a review of the school’s curriculum was imminent so
as to integrate the software into their system .He said the institute is looking to partner with
others to popularize the tool and why it is well suited in collecting data in the settlements .
Members in the workshop gave their views in as far as the presentation was concerned. Mr.
Bogere MLHUD said it is high time that local universities in the nine municipalities get involved
in the process .Municipalities must strive to make STDM a living tool by continuously updating
their information and integrating it with their community information systems. The Government
through the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development should tag the tool to all its
programs so as to popularize it and make use of it. The sociologist also informed the session that
under the USMID program, there is a requirement to have an updated physical plan and that the
tool can do this sufficiently and satisfactorily to enrich the process because it involves the
community and leaves them with a sense of ownership; once they own the process, they own the
product too.
James Lwanga from KCCA briefly shared on how he sees the tool featuring in their work in
Kampala. He said the tool offered ready information to plan for informal settlements in
Kampala .He said the recent profiles conducted by the SDI alliance showed that 72% or so in
Kampala consist of slum dwellers which means to develop Kampala, channels have to be created
that will enable KCCA and other players reach out to the 72%. He commended the work of
ACTogether in pushing for the institutionalization of the Municipal Development forums which
can be used to address the aforesaid 72% adding that the information gathering reinforces the
MDF, it makes the debate in the MDF rich because it is based on information .He also spoke of
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the continuous updating of the community information to ensure it is reliable and relevant to the
times. He concluded by saying partnerships were very critical to taking the STDM good
practices to another level citing the newly formed partnership between KCCA and the SDI
alliance who are now members in the urban renewal.
Medie from ACTogether shared that the STDM tool should not appear as one that glorifies slums
but one that acknowledge slums are there and one that can start a process where they can be
formalized and recognized by the state .He challenged the members to think of a situation where
the government knows how many people exist in a certain informal settlement ,where the
same government recognizes that the people therein are in need of certain services and as such
goes ahead to plan for its upgrading .According to him, doing this will mean that the STDM tool
and the process that comes with it will have achieved by 100% in Uganda!
Mr. Danilo then opened another session on the concretizing of action plans for the next phase of
STDM in Uganda .He communicated that Global Land Tools Network is going to support
Uganda to scale up the STDM process further .This support will be in the form of;
Strengthening the expansion of STDM; taking the STDM to all the nine municipalities
under the USMID program
Supporting the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development on the Land Policy
implementation
Supporting the Rural Development part of STDM-security of tenure for farmers which
will be done through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Supporting the Uganda Land Alliance an organization focusing on tenure for women and
also the legal aspect for the poor in as far as land tenure is concerned.-
Providing ways in which Uganda can mobilize more support by acting as a catalyst ,for
the support given to Uganda acting as a catalyst for more funding from other players.
Mr. Danilo said he will be pleased to see Uganda becoming one of the countries that can use the
STDM to map out settlements and use the information to improve their localities.
Participants then sat in groups as per their municipalities to prepare informed work plans on how
they plan to take on the STDM process in this second phase. (See Annex II).
The session was graced to have Mr. Mabala, the commissioner Urban Development who joined
the day’s proceedings that afternoon. He briefly shared that his ministry has been playing on the
STDM program in Uganda. He said he has been present right on the onset of STDM in Uganda
and has witnessed its ability to bring meaningful lasting solutions to communities needs through
the partnerships it has created between local communicates and their governments. He said he
had seen communities getting empowered and voicing out issues through the process .The
commissioner was of the view that STDM coupled with SDI methods of collecting data helps
improve on recognition of slums and informal settlements which would probably not happen
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were it not for this software. ‘‘It is common
knowledge that where slums exist ,there is no
identification but this tool has the ability to do
just that .By the number the enumerators write
on a door while collecting the information,
you get an address and by the profile
information ,the settlement gets recognized ’’
he said
The commissioner communicated that his
Ministry is exploring the possibility of scaling
up what was done in Mbale and rolling out
STDM in all the 14 municipalities .According
to him, planning is not an office affair but
participatory where different stakeholder’s
voices count. He called on physical planners
to make use of interns on industrial training to
familiarize them with the tool because that is
the where technology is taking us. Mr. Mabala was of the view that slums today are a result of
failure to plan fifty years ago and hence the need to keep planning and updating the data base
constantly to know what service has been provided, where and what has not and in the same way
plan on providing for the missing services in due time .
The commissioner spoke of the complicated tenure systems which complicate the whole
equation of orderly planning .He praised the STDM tool for allowing for the recognition of
different form of land ownership which can assist in land regularization .He noted that STDM
had greatly borrowed on the Transforming Settlements of the Urban Poor in Uganda (TSUPU)
program best practices which program has a component of Municipal Development Forums ,an
aspect that can complement the STDM process by making sure data gathered is disseminated in
community platforms to create a bigger impact to benefit the society rather than individual
interests.
On the sustainability of the process and generally projects led by the government to empower
communities such as Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID)
,TSUPU and STDM, the commissioner pushed for communities using vehicles created by these
programs such as Settlement Development Forums (SDF) and Municipal Development Forums
(MDF) to advocate for collective action to develop their localities .He said informal settlers
should spend less and save more and know there is power in one organized voice. He added that
it is high time communities move from informality to engaging in something for the outside
economy, to produce for the markets and to becoming investors of tomorrow, to forming housing
cooperatives and becoming landlords of tomorrow.
Photo 2: Commissioner Urban Development Mr. Samuel Mabala
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He also appreciated the work of KCCA which is now on board referring to a recent partnership
between the SDI alliance in Uganda and KCCA. He said there was need for a paradigm shift on
how the authority relates to slum dwellers. The authority must engage slum dwellers and other
informal settlers because if they know they have a stake for the city, they will protect it.
In his concluding remarks, the Commissioner appreciated the support from UN
HABITAT/GLTN and urged fellow Ugandans in the session to share knowledge implement the
action plans and remain committed to these work plans .He cautioned them against
procrastination which will always lag them behind.
He concluded with the following and quote, ‘‘we can decide to fail the process or make it
succeed .We must take the wheel and get on the driving seat. The direction is now known, let us
choose to drive’’.
The two day workshop then came to an official close after closing remarks from the deputy
mayor of Entebbe .The mayor said he was pleased to have been host to such a rich class of
delegates and was confident of the coming future based on what members had deliberated. He
added that the solution to the problems of slums is not chasing them from the city but rather
devising means of making them part of the cities .He warned of political bickering which will
fail projects and programs meant to change and transform informal settlements right before they
commence .He said he had learnt quite a lot on the STDM tool and would look out to see how
information will feed in the coming budget for Entebbe town .He bid journey mercies to the
delegates and declared the workshop closed.
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Annex 1 PROGRAM
NO. ITEM TIME WHO
1. a) Prayers and Introductions 8.30-9am
b) Official opening 9-9.10am Mayor-Entebbe
c) Program sharing 9.10-9.20 Hellen
d) Workshop objectives and Video
on STDM experience in the 4
municipalities; Entebbe, Mbale,
Masaka and Tororo towns.
9.20-
10.10am
GLTN/Medie
TEA BREAK
2. a) STDM Experience sharing by
the MoLHUD and
Municipalities on role of STDM
in the planning and
implementation of the on-going
municipal upgrading projects in
Masaka, Mbale, Tororo and
Entebbe (e.g. TSUPU, USMID
etc.)
10.30-1pm Municipal representative and
MOLHUD
LUNCH
3. a) Consolidating STDM
capacity gaps per
Municipality (group
work)
2pm-2.30 GLTN/ ACT
4. a) Data preparations and
management
2.30pm-
3pm
GLTN/Freddie
5 b) Data management with updated
STDM version
3pm-5pm GLTN/Freddie
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DAY TWO
NO. ITEM TIME WHO
1. a) Recap of Day 1
b) Profiling data analysis and
reporting
8.30-
8.50am
8.50-10am
Medie/Hellen
Freddie/GLTN
BREAKFAST
2. a) Mapping and Map data
overview in various formats
10.20am-
1pm
GLTN and Freddie
LUNCH
3. a) Action plans for empowering
the 4 municipalities as STDM
learning centres. (Group work)
b) Action plans for scaling up
STDM to the 14 municipalities
with support from MOLHUD
2pm-
3.30pm
3-4pm
Hellen/Medie
Bogere (MLHUD)
4. a) Workshop RUP up and
Concluding remarks
GLTN/ACTogether/NSDFU
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Annex III Participants
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