Mbale, a Town Graduated to City Status in 2020: A Cost benefit Analysis: Lessons from Contemporary Citification Experiences

Abstract

In Uganda and other parts of the world, there has long been a desire for the graduation of numerous towns to

become cities. Towns like Mbale, Mbarara, Arua, Jinja, Gulu, Fort Portal, and Masaka will become operational

in Uganda on July 1st 2020, while others like Hoima will follow on July 1st 2021. This makes the process

actual. The expanding "citification" process is ascribed to the anticipated advantages that outweigh the

disadvantages. It is thought that as cities grow, more people will consider relocating there, making space for

skilled yet affordable labor. Through the trickle-down effect, wealthy regions aid rural areas by building roads,

schools, and other infrastructure and providing recreational opportunities. Sports fields, theaters, and movie

theaters all grow more appealing, and overall there is widespread convenience and an improvement in lifestyles.

Therefore, it is up to each person to decide what kind of life and services they should have access to.This is

despite the costs associated with the same development, though. Obesity is inevitable as a result of the fast

paced, stressful nature of modern life, the prevalence of fast food, and the lack of time to exercise. Convenience

and the desire to live a simple life lead to negative health effects coupled with other realities like traffic and

pollution. This casts doubt on the assumption that Mbale will move in a path where costs outweigh benefits, or

vice versa.