Kyengera, a place that never sleeps
KYENGERA town lies along the Kampala-Masaka Road. One can access it either from Busega or Nsangi.
By John Agaba
KYENGERA town lies along the Kampala-Masaka Road. One can access it either from Busega or Nsangi.
From Busega, a swamp separates Kyengera from the rest of the surrounding areas. Accessing Kyengera from Nsangi, one has to go through Kitemu, Nabbingo and Buddo.
Kyengera is fast growing into one of the most preferred residential places. Many people hoping to settle find it a better option to build their houses.
Joseph Kakande, a resident in the area, says Kyengera attracts people from all works of life, partly because it is accessible, has a good security and sanitation — a reason which has made it develop.
He says: “Just a few years back, the area was scarcely populated. There were few houses; one here, one there. A plot of land then cost about sh4m but now things have changed.’’
And indeed things have changed. Kyengera is now a beehive of houses — both residential and commercial.
Today, one of the challenges the people of Kyengera face is heavy traffic. Though the place is accessible, when the traffic is heavy it can take you about two hours from Kampala to reach a place which would normally take 30 minutes.
In order to beat the morning traffic jam, residents rise early and ensure that they are on the road before 7:00am. In the evenings, they must leave town before 6:00pm, or they wait till after 9:00pm.
The transport fares on this route are most appalling. You can blame it on the soaring fuel prices. But travelling in a taxi from Kampala to Kyengera is sh1,500, and vice versa.
However, if there is anything, Kyengera residents love about the place, and which you too could love, is Kyengera’s night life.
Kyengera trading centre never sleeps. Actually, you should never be surprised if you got there at around 3:00am and found bars like the famous Canaan playing the loudest Karaoke, T1; blazing the hardest Rap and Rhythm & Blue.
Apart from the bars, you can not fail to get yourself something to eat. There will be fried chicken, chapattis and cassava. The rolex vendors in this place never sleep.
Just so you know, Kyengera is an equivalent of Soweto. Now, if you know what that South African town is famous for, you will find it all here in Kyengera. The area just behind Equity Bank has all you can trace in the South African city.
The place is littered with numerous restaurants that turn into brothels once the customers are drunk and desire more ‘quality time’.
Patrick Mwagale, a boda boda cyclist says, beers hear is cheap. “There are all these sorts of local liquor which are so cheap. With only sh2,000 you may certainly fail to trace your way back home. They have malwa, ajon, omuramba, name it...’’
The night time is so entertaining, especially for the ‘middle class’ and the beauty about it is all these bars are operated by women. Forinstance, Sax Pub is famous for the ladies of the night.
This is a contrast to the residential areas of Mugongo and Wakimese, which are so quiet that if you spent a night there, you would hardly hear a thing.
According to Mwagale, many consider Wakimese, Kyengera’s Muyenga. The area boasts of a number of houses with architecture you can only trace in the posh houses in Muyenga. It also has unlittered pathways. Because the place has a good neighborhood, you might think it is too costly to rent, which is not true.
Renting a descent double-roomed house in Kyengera ranges from sh120,000 to sh170,000 while a two-bed-room house goes for about sh250,000 to sh300,000.
Recently, the demand for land is high. A 50ftx50ft plot of land goes for between sh7m to sh10m, and a 100ftx100ft plot, costs about sh20m.
Farouk Kimbugwe, one of the young men staying in Kyengera, says thieves in the area are still a challenge.
He laments that using a solex padlock for a house does not give much of protection.
Despite this, the place boasts of mushrooming businesses, majority of which are retail shops. These are fuelled by heavy truck drivers who usually stop there on their way.
The place is surrounded by prominent schools like the famous Kings College Budo, Trinity College Nabbingo and the St. Lawrence schools.
In Kyengera, electricity is stable and so is water. Although there is no government hospital, the area has enough health facilities. The place has an ambiance that attracts many people. You just need a walk through it to have a feel of its fresh air.
KYENGERA town lies along the Kampala-Masaka Road. One can access it either from Busega or Nsangi.
From Busega, a swamp separates Kyengera from the rest of the surrounding areas. Accessing Kyengera from Nsangi, one has to go through Kitemu, Nabbingo and Buddo.
Kyengera is fast growing into one of the most preferred residential places. Many people hoping to settle find it a better option to build their houses.
Joseph Kakande, a resident in the area, says Kyengera attracts people from all works of life, partly because it is accessible, has a good security and sanitation — a reason which has made it develop.
He says: “Just a few years back, the area was scarcely populated. There were few houses; one here, one there. A plot of land then cost about sh4m but now things have changed.’’
And indeed things have changed. Kyengera is now a beehive of houses — both residential and commercial.
Today, one of the challenges the people of Kyengera face is heavy traffic. Though the place is accessible, when the traffic is heavy it can take you about two hours from Kampala to reach a place which would normally take 30 minutes.
In order to beat the morning traffic jam, residents rise early and ensure that they are on the road before 7:00am. In the evenings, they must leave town before 6:00pm, or they wait till after 9:00pm.
The transport fares on this route are most appalling. You can blame it on the soaring fuel prices. But travelling in a taxi from Kampala to Kyengera is sh1,500, and vice versa.
However, if there is anything, Kyengera residents love about the place, and which you too could love, is Kyengera’s night life.
Kyengera trading centre never sleeps. Actually, you should never be surprised if you got there at around 3:00am and found bars like the famous Canaan playing the loudest Karaoke, T1; blazing the hardest Rap and Rhythm & Blue.
Apart from the bars, you can not fail to get yourself something to eat. There will be fried chicken, chapattis and cassava. The rolex vendors in this place never sleep.
Just so you know, Kyengera is an equivalent of Soweto. Now, if you know what that South African town is famous for, you will find it all here in Kyengera. The area just behind Equity Bank has all you can trace in the South African city.
The place is littered with numerous restaurants that turn into brothels once the customers are drunk and desire more ‘quality time’.
Patrick Mwagale, a boda boda cyclist says, beers hear is cheap. “There are all these sorts of local liquor which are so cheap. With only sh2,000 you may certainly fail to trace your way back home. They have malwa, ajon, omuramba, name it...’’
The night time is so entertaining, especially for the ‘middle class’ and the beauty about it is all these bars are operated by women. Forinstance, Sax Pub is famous for the ladies of the night.
This is a contrast to the residential areas of Mugongo and Wakimese, which are so quiet that if you spent a night there, you would hardly hear a thing.
According to Mwagale, many consider Wakimese, Kyengera’s Muyenga. The area boasts of a number of houses with architecture you can only trace in the posh houses in Muyenga. It also has unlittered pathways. Because the place has a good neighborhood, you might think it is too costly to rent, which is not true.
Renting a descent double-roomed house in Kyengera ranges from sh120,000 to sh170,000 while a two-bed-room house goes for about sh250,000 to sh300,000.
Recently, the demand for land is high. A 50ftx50ft plot of land goes for between sh7m to sh10m, and a 100ftx100ft plot, costs about sh20m.
Farouk Kimbugwe, one of the young men staying in Kyengera, says thieves in the area are still a challenge.
He laments that using a solex padlock for a house does not give much of protection.
Despite this, the place boasts of mushrooming businesses, majority of which are retail shops. These are fuelled by heavy truck drivers who usually stop there on their way.
The place is surrounded by prominent schools like the famous Kings College Budo, Trinity College Nabbingo and the St. Lawrence schools.
In Kyengera, electricity is stable and so is water. Although there is no government hospital, the area has enough health facilities. The place has an ambiance that attracts many people. You just need a walk through it to have a feel of its fresh air.