The Hood: Kyaliwajjala

Kyaliwajjala is a neighbourhood in Kira Municipality, Wakiso District.

For sure if you have been to the Namugongo Shrines there is no way you don't know where Kyaliwajala is. This place is amazing and it boasts of the best pork in the whole of Wakiso, according to pork enthusiasts like Ferdinand Kamanzi, a resident of the area.

‘The pork you get in Kyaliwajjala tastes nothing like what you taste in the whole of Uganda. I wonder what they put in this pork. It is special' He says.

Location

Kyaliwajjala is bordered by Namugongo to the northeast, Bweyogerere to the southeast, Naalya to the south, Najjera to the west and Downtown Kira to the northwest. This location lies approximately 14 kilometers of Kampala the capital of Uganda.

History

Most Kampala neighbourhood names have a background and for sure the name Kyaliwajjala must mean something. So we asked as many people as possible, of course most of them didn't know. They just live a place they have no clue about its history.  We searched for some old knowledge about the area and finally landed on a one Eldard Muleme, an elder in the area who says that the name is traced from way back, that it is just folklore.

"Back then, there was a prominent witch doctor called Wajjala who lived in the area," he says, "No one was like him."

He adds that, due to the wondrous and mighty works that he did, the residents while discussing about him always referred to what went on at his place as a snap shot of what goes on in heaven. They always said in wonder; "ekyali e wajjala" (meaning what happened at Wajjala's) This thus resulted in the name Kyaliwajjala.

Overview

In the 1960s and 1980s, Kyaliwajjala was a trading center at a road intersection. During the 21st Century it has developed into a bustling urban center with banks, retail shops, gasoline stations, pharmacies and hardware stores. The Kampala Northern Bypass Highway passes through Naalya to the south of the neighborhood. This place also doubles as the mother of the blessed Namugongo martyrs shrines.

 Development

It is worth noting that Kyaliwajjala has greatly blossomed from the little village it was a while ago into a suburb worth reckoning with.

With the erection of structures like the Quality Shopping mall which is neighboured by Afronica Bar, one of the oldest and most known in the place, the residents believe that this is but a tip of the ice-burg.

Along the Namugongo-Sonde route lies well positioned Premier Pub regarded as the best pork joint in the area, not forgetting Agenda 2000.

A one Stella, Manager at Rangers Pub along the Kyaliwajjala-Naalya road says that Kyaliwajjala is a perfect location for a bar.

"People here are unwavering customers. The bottle is their life," she says, "in a good night, I make about Shs400,000 save for this last month when people have been extremely broke. I've only been making about Shs100,000 a night."

As for houses for rent, a self contained house goes for about Shs400,000 which seemingly is quite affordable given its proximity to the city center. And for those venturing in real house estate construction, a plot of 50 by 100 ft goes for close to Shs40m as compared to the original sh3m 15 years ago.

Population

During the 2002 national population census, the population of Kyaliwajjala was estimated at about 16,200 or 11.5% of the total population of Kira. In 2011, the population of Kira Municipality was estimated at 179,800, by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). Using those data, the population of Kyaliwajjala was estimated at about 21,000 inhabitants, in 2011.

During 2012, the Kira Municipality authorities estimated Kyaliwajjala's population at about 50,000. It could have doubled by now considering how the middle class are running there for accommodation.