Kololo ready for Pontiff visit

Oct 24, 2015

Pope Francis is scheduled to address the youth at Kololo Airstrip in the afternoon of November 28

Pope Francis is scheduled to address the youth at Kololo Airstrip in the afternoon of November 28 after Namugongo Martyrs Shrine. Umaru Kashaka looks at how ready Kololo is for Pope's address.

The Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese, Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga invited all the youth from all over the world, to Kololo to meet the Holy See. Pope Francis will be the second Pope to set foot in the hallowed independence grounds otherwise known as Kololo Airstrip.

Pope Paul VI celebrated an open air mass at Kololo grounds on August 1, 1969, where he consecrated 12 bishops from different African countries. Four of them were Ugandans; Albert Edward Baharagate of Fort Portal, Sarapio Magambo of Hoima, John Baptist Kakubi of Mbarara and Barnabas Halebimana of Kabale.

true
Pope Paul VI during open mass in Kololo in 1969

And at that time, Kololo hadn’t changed much from the grounds that hosted the Independence celebrations in 1962. It was here that the British anthem, God Save the Queen, played its last as Uganda’s official anthem, moments before mid–night on October 8.

The Union Jack too was lowered as lights were switched off to signify the end of the British colonial rule. It was here that the Uganda flag was raised by Major Kenneth Ikanut Akorimong, who was the only queen’s commissioned officer by then. It was also here that the Uganda’s national anthem, composed by the late Prof George Kakoma and Peter Wingard, was sung officially as Uganda’s flagship chorus.

Today, the grounds have changed, after the 2012 renovation. A large pavilion with capacity to seat 5,500 guests was constructed and the parade ground with concrete pavers and measuring about 20,000 square meters fixed. 

Two monuments, one to pay tribute to fallen soldiers and the other to commemorate independence, were worked on. Themed The Journey, one of the monuments depicts five youthful individuals, among which three of them are carrying a flag, taking steps up on a pedestal.

true
Pope Paul VI during open mass in Kololo in 1969

The birth of Kololo


Popular history has it that, unlike the other hills in Kampala whose names are affiliated to Buganda’s traditions and words, Kololo got its name from Rwot Awich, the paramount chief of Payiira in Acholi. According to Dr Martin Aliker, one of the earliest occupants and longest staying residents of Kololo, Awich was captured for defying the British and imprisoned in 1912, at the present day Summit View military barracks (which began as an outpost). Awich is alleged to have always cried out loud in Luo: “An atye kany kololo”, which means “I am here alone.” His captors and the Baganda started calling the place the hill of Kololo. Before long, everybody called the hill Kololo.

Between 1910 and the 1960s, it was a favourite residence hub of Europeans in Kampala with cool, breath taking views of the city. By 1940, Kololo had transformed into quarters for the extremely rich and elites, mostly foreigners. Today, Kololo is still inhabited by mostly the elite of Uganda’s society and has some of the best infrastructure in the land with most embassies.

true
Kololo on Independence day, Obote receiving instruments of power

About the Airstrip

According to Agencies, the airstrip was the idea of Philip Euen Mitchell, the Governor of Uganda 1935 -1940 who approved construction in 1936.

The tender was given to Gailey & Roberts Limited, who levelled a hillside and constructed an all-weather gravel strip spanning 1,000 x 60 yards (914 – 55 metres), at a cost of £18,500.

They erected a small hangar, a small public works (PWD) workshop and the control building. The strip was designated a "Customs Aerodrome" by airport authorities on November 1, 1937.

However, Mitchel was later faulted for that major construction expenditure because aviation use remained low-key.

All international traffic continued to use Entebbe airport as the port of entry ironically, at the request of the Governor’s office. One company applied to use it as a home ground; the Wilson Airways company.

It based its de Havilland Dragonfly (VP-KCA) at the airstrip for official and private charter within Uganda. They based their ground engineer at the site. There were no wireless facilities but on prior arrangement, flashes would be used for night landing.

However, activity seemed to be limited and, by 1946, the airstrip had fallen out of use. By early 1950s, the eastern end of the strip was shortened by construction of residential quarters by Nyonyi Gardens, shortening the runway length to approximately 730 m. Until 1962 it remained unfenced, and was used for practice purposes mainly by learning drivers.

Possibly the last recorded use of the airstrip by fixed-wing aircraft was in the mid-1970s when members of the Safari Rally Committee obtained special consent to operate from the site with a Cessna 310. It did not last.

Kololo Airstrip is still registered among landing strips of the world with the KLA aita airport code. According to Ourairports.com, it is classified as closed airport

Today, it is survived by grounds for national celebrations, festivals and as a landing site for choppers. Part of the land is reserved burial ground for national heroes. So far, only two heroes laid to rest there are Uganda Independence movement hero, Ignatius K. Musaazi, the founder of Uganda National Congress, and Prof. Yusuf Kironde Lule - the founder of the National Resistance Movement, which is the ruling party.

Opinion leaders argue that Kololo airstrip should be designed as a place of pilgrimage because of its relevance to Uganda’s independence, its hosting of popes and the mausoleums of the founders of Uganda’s modern stage.

true
Kololo on Independence day, Obote receiving instruments of power

Kololo today


The Airstrip is currently controlled by the Ministry of Defence. The Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda told Saturday Vision that they were more than ready to receive the spiritual leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

"We will have a state-of-the-art security mechanism, including metal detectors as well as picketing the entire ground with intelligence," Ankunda said. "It's not something we are doing on our own; we are working with Police and we have formed a joint operations committee and worked out a security plan together," he stated.

Although the grounds are being watched over by military officers, Ankunda said they are open to the public and people are free to access them through appropriate security measures.

He said anyone who wants to use the airstrip for any business should write to the permanent secretary of the ministry of defence, Rosette Byengoma.

"I think the cost ranges from 20m-30m depending on the magnitude," he explained.

In a telephone conversation with Saturday Vision, Byengoma said they will decorate the area to the standard befitting the Pope.

"We have not done any extra ordinary work, but we shall have better tents and the place will be well decorated. If we need to do something in the area before the Pope's visit, the National Organising Committee will advise us. In the mean time we feel the area is very presentable," she said.

Related to the story

Nalukolongo gears up for Pope Francis

Rubaga ready for Pope Francis

Munyonyo: where Pope will start his pilgrimage

Namugongo gets set for Pope



 

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});