What makes Bugolobi tick…
Mar 04, 2011
IT is a modern model residential area where any ideal home ought to be. Plots are numbered and roads have their name plaques in place. Door-to-door delivery of newspapers would work well here.
By Titus Kakembo
IT is a modern model residential area where any ideal home ought to be. Plots are numbered and roads have their name plaques in place. Door-to-door delivery of newspapers would work well here.
Going by the 4WD cars driven by residents, one needs a handsome bank balance to live in Bugolobi.
You spot a Subaru Forester, a Defender there, a cool Discovery 4 glides by as you struggle to get of the Forester.
Living rooms like Capt. Mike Mukula’s are graced with plasma screens, art collections and leather sofa sets.
Healthy looking children, paddle out of wall fences on bicycles or clutching the latest digital toys. Some are dressed like their favourite movie stars.
It is only adults who know that 40 years ago Idi Amin Dada fell out with his Israeli military godfathers, whose countrymen had built the landmark towering flats Bugolobi is best known for.
Oral literature has it that ‘Big Daddy’ gave the Isralis 24 hours to vacate his country. Careless whispers echo how tones of soil dug while constructing the foundations, were flown to the Holy land. Forty years later, things have changed for the better.
“Things have since changed. Currently, trees, space and scenery will shoot up the price of any property here,†David Musungu, a property heir, tips potential sellers.
“Concrete compounds are an eye sore to exposed buyers or travelled tenants. Most of them prefer nature at its best. The greenery and lots of space is what counts.â€
While there, be sure to be in the neighbourhood of relatives of the Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame, Mayor Nasser Ntege Sebaggala and survivors of the late Godfrey Binaisa.
All is well in Bugos save for the murky Katanga slum, regular power disconnection in the market and ear assaulting music from the trading centre. Bugolobi remains a calm place, by Kampala standards, to live in.
Economic policies and a calm political climate have since made it a compulsory destination for the wealthy who prefer apartments and bungalows.
“The demand for homes here is driven by a household’s wealth, increasing population growth, availability of credit and prevailing interest rates,†explains Sophie Oluka, a consultant.
“These factors change rapidly with the times,†she adds.
Developers in Bugolobi are constructing houses not only for locals but to also accommodate the increasing number of investors from China, Nigeria, Kenya and DR of Congo.
As trailers off load merchandise, it is evident some utilise the enormous space in the compound to store their goods.
Previously a predominantly residential area, the neighbourhood is fast being transformed into commercial area. Like Nakasero, Wandegeya, and other city suburbs, many residential houses are being redesigned to accommodate offices, gyms, bookshops and restaurants.
In the miniature town along Luthuli Rise is the market and a quaint strip of shops that become pubs in the night. Besides roast chicken and goat’s rib, bread, pastries and cakes are sold here.
The vibrant shopping centre attracts a well-groomed and well-heeled clientele. Small boutiques punctuate the narrow streets. Curios featuring the work of local jewellery and clothing designers and high-end furniture stores showcase a variety of products.
For sh2,000, Windows, a millet brew bar attracts patrons from Namugongo, Mukono and Entebbe.
“After a day’s hard work we vent off the steam here,†says Ojangole Aisu. “We network and swap ideas or job opportunities sitting around a frothy beer pot.â€
Bamboo Nest, Rise and other pubs offer residents a place to eat and drink, see local artistes perform and style up with affordable haircuts.
Kenyans have a nook where they are served sukuma wiki, nyama choma and ugali in kilogrammes.
Night revellers congregate in Bugolobi to party, date and relax after a hard week. Brunch options elsewhere include sweet and savoury recipes, French/Italian toast and quiche. The restaurants also serve lunch and dinner during the week.
Bugolobi residents love luxury. They are adventurous diners who sample Italian, Chinese and Asian. Comedy nights and dance parties appeal to them.
But Janet Nerima believes there is still a lot of opportunity for the area to grow.
“The problems have not all gone away.†Adding that, “But now we are finding solutions like getting a Zebra Crossing along Port Bell Road and filling the potholes.â€
IT is a modern model residential area where any ideal home ought to be. Plots are numbered and roads have their name plaques in place. Door-to-door delivery of newspapers would work well here.
Going by the 4WD cars driven by residents, one needs a handsome bank balance to live in Bugolobi.
You spot a Subaru Forester, a Defender there, a cool Discovery 4 glides by as you struggle to get of the Forester.
Living rooms like Capt. Mike Mukula’s are graced with plasma screens, art collections and leather sofa sets.
Healthy looking children, paddle out of wall fences on bicycles or clutching the latest digital toys. Some are dressed like their favourite movie stars.
It is only adults who know that 40 years ago Idi Amin Dada fell out with his Israeli military godfathers, whose countrymen had built the landmark towering flats Bugolobi is best known for.
Oral literature has it that ‘Big Daddy’ gave the Isralis 24 hours to vacate his country. Careless whispers echo how tones of soil dug while constructing the foundations, were flown to the Holy land. Forty years later, things have changed for the better.
“Things have since changed. Currently, trees, space and scenery will shoot up the price of any property here,†David Musungu, a property heir, tips potential sellers.
“Concrete compounds are an eye sore to exposed buyers or travelled tenants. Most of them prefer nature at its best. The greenery and lots of space is what counts.â€
While there, be sure to be in the neighbourhood of relatives of the Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame, Mayor Nasser Ntege Sebaggala and survivors of the late Godfrey Binaisa.
All is well in Bugos save for the murky Katanga slum, regular power disconnection in the market and ear assaulting music from the trading centre. Bugolobi remains a calm place, by Kampala standards, to live in.
Economic policies and a calm political climate have since made it a compulsory destination for the wealthy who prefer apartments and bungalows.
“The demand for homes here is driven by a household’s wealth, increasing population growth, availability of credit and prevailing interest rates,†explains Sophie Oluka, a consultant.
“These factors change rapidly with the times,†she adds.
Developers in Bugolobi are constructing houses not only for locals but to also accommodate the increasing number of investors from China, Nigeria, Kenya and DR of Congo.
As trailers off load merchandise, it is evident some utilise the enormous space in the compound to store their goods.
Previously a predominantly residential area, the neighbourhood is fast being transformed into commercial area. Like Nakasero, Wandegeya, and other city suburbs, many residential houses are being redesigned to accommodate offices, gyms, bookshops and restaurants.
In the miniature town along Luthuli Rise is the market and a quaint strip of shops that become pubs in the night. Besides roast chicken and goat’s rib, bread, pastries and cakes are sold here.
The vibrant shopping centre attracts a well-groomed and well-heeled clientele. Small boutiques punctuate the narrow streets. Curios featuring the work of local jewellery and clothing designers and high-end furniture stores showcase a variety of products.
For sh2,000, Windows, a millet brew bar attracts patrons from Namugongo, Mukono and Entebbe.
“After a day’s hard work we vent off the steam here,†says Ojangole Aisu. “We network and swap ideas or job opportunities sitting around a frothy beer pot.â€
Bamboo Nest, Rise and other pubs offer residents a place to eat and drink, see local artistes perform and style up with affordable haircuts.
Kenyans have a nook where they are served sukuma wiki, nyama choma and ugali in kilogrammes.
Night revellers congregate in Bugolobi to party, date and relax after a hard week. Brunch options elsewhere include sweet and savoury recipes, French/Italian toast and quiche. The restaurants also serve lunch and dinner during the week.
Bugolobi residents love luxury. They are adventurous diners who sample Italian, Chinese and Asian. Comedy nights and dance parties appeal to them.
But Janet Nerima believes there is still a lot of opportunity for the area to grow.
“The problems have not all gone away.†Adding that, “But now we are finding solutions like getting a Zebra Crossing along Port Bell Road and filling the potholes.â€