Sseesamirembe Eco-City

On January 18 2006, the Government of Uganda signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding with Kagera Eco-Cities Ltd to create a 200 square mile International Special Economic Zone and Eco-City called the Sseesamirembe Eco-City: Lake Victoria Free Trade Zone.

A cross-border EcoCity?
The 200-square mile planning area of the Eco-City straddles the common border of Uganda and Tanzania. Discussions are underway with the Tanzanian Government to extend the Eco-City across the border to create Africa’s first cross border International Investment Municipality.

Green development issues
The Eco-City is planned as a model where the objectives of socio-economic growth are achieved in an ecologically friendly manner. The Eco-City’s administration is to enforce key green development issues such as:
 * re-forestation
 * eco-friendly building materials
 * energy efficient building designs
 * pedestrian friendly urban planning to create a non-automobile dependant town
 * eco-friendly waste sorting, re-cycling and disposal
 * hybrid (wind-solar) renewable energy.

Regional and Global Community interest
Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi are all linked to other countries such as Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt and other Mediterranean countries by the waters that flow from Lake Victoria via the River Nile.

The Global Community has recognized that it is in its best interests to support and study an integrated socio-economic-climate change package in the form of an Eco-City that can be replicated across the region. Sseesamirembe Eco-City (Uganda) has been designated as a “Designer Eco-City” and shall be presented to the 2nd Annual Low Carbon Societies Conference to be held in London from the 13th-15th June 2007.