Uganda, April 27 -- Uganda's economic future will not be determined in Kampala alone. That is not a criticism of the capital, it is a recognition of scale. With the ambitions set out under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), and the broader push to significantly expand the size of the economy, it is clear that growth must be distributed. 

The question is no longer whether our cities will grow, but whether they will grow in a way that is productive, investable, and sustainable.

In my experience, both in Uganda and across the region, this is where secondary cities become decisive. A secondary city is often misunderstood as simply a smaller urban centre. In reality, it is a city with a defined economic role, one that connec...