The Kayonza district Mayor has promised to intensify a campaign against grass thatched houses, saying they are outdated and people should strive to build modern housing. A policy banning grass thatched houses in the province was issued last year.

In an interview with The New Times on Wednesday, Damus Muhororo reiterated his call to area Sectors Executive Secretaries to end the use of traditional huts in the villages.

He noted that many people have the capacity to construct modern houses roofed with iron sheets but are reluctant to do so.

‘The only problem is, people take living in grass thatched houses as a normal yet we have to move with the times. Sensitisation has been on and we are optimistic that many will have to change their mindsets’, Muhororo said.

Modern housing and settling people in community settlements commonly called (Imidugudu) is among the government’s main goals in order to transform villages, as this will increase access to basic infrastructure like schools, electricity and roads.

The government has been undertaking the  construction of such settlements for selected desperate citizens. However according to the Mayor, some capable individuals have been looking upon the government to come to their aid,an act he has said is quite pathetic.

According to him, so far 90 percent of the district’s  population is living in modern houses. He appealed to all those migrating to the district to prepare to build modern houses, noting that people still living in huts are mainly new migrants.

It takes migrants, Muhoro noted, quite some time to be confident when it comes to settling down hence the reason why they prefer grass thatched houses.

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