Entebbe, the fading beauty

Aug 24, 2001

Entebbe's beauty is wearing and tearing, as the precious historical treasures dating far back to 1893 are neglected, being torn down and replaced by modern structures.

By Titus Kakembo -- Many unique historical structures are being torn down, with plain modern structures being built in their place Entebbe's beauty is wearing and tearing, as the precious historical treasures dating far back to 1893 are neglected, being torn down and replaced by modern structures. But evidence of the British colonial times, with Asian and Goan settlement here is still whispering from a distance. Staggering to stay on their aged feet they are silently going extinct. Captain Jack Eselu said: “Some structures in Entebbe, remind one of an old man crippled by Kony's landmines. They look like a wrinkled grey haired old man fitted with a brand new artificial leg or arm. Entebbe looks like a jig saw fitting of sorts to me." The name Entebbe owes its roots to Entebbe za Mugalu (rocky seats), a place where a local chief called Mugalu used to adjudicate cases and hold court. The name was finally cut down to Entebbe to suit the foreigner’s pronunciation. At this point, one wonders what heritage is if it does not continue to live on. This pace risks cultural impoverishment. And yet this miniature town is a living historical site. After Mugalu, The British Commissioner Sir Gerald Portal decided to quit Kampala in 1893 and sought to stay in Entebbe. Portal relocated to these lake Victoria shores and sowed the first seed of the budding town it is today. It was then adopted as the official capital of Uganda in 1894. This was a tactful decision by the British administration to carry on its work smoothly without clashing with the Kabaka's government in Mengo. He later found so much solace in Entebbe, a wooded peninsula forested with giant trees, many birds and a wealth of wild life. A port by the Botanical Gardens was later baptised Alice after his beloved wife. In spite of the fast changing neighbourhood in Entebbe, there is a huge conservative colonial relic overlooking the Entebbe pier. It was once a government secretariat. Later, it was transformed into a ministry of Public Service headquarters. Today it houses the Ministry of Agriculture. This is a beauty, still boasting of its graceful Elizabethan architecture and it is shimmering with a fresh coat of paint, sitting there with grace as its age-mates disappear. Then there is the monument at Kigungu, where Rev. Fr. Pere Lourdes and Amans (both French missionaries of the catholic faith) landed on February 17, 1879 on board a leaking boat. Other than that is St. John's church, where the colonial governors and administrators went to say prayers, just at the edge of Entebbe Golf Course. Right by the road junction is the artistic statue of a man, standing by an old gun that was captured by the British from the Germans and mounted at Entebbe. This is a town which was a melting pot of cultures, with Goans, Britons, Italians, Batooro, Baziba and Baganda. Names like Kitooro still exist. The Batooro preferred to stay in a close neat neighbourhood, to be of help in hard times. Asian and English architecture graces the town with variety, but most of these old structures are being torn down and replaced by huge thick walled bungalows. Houses built in the colonial era for the accommodation of civil servants are now being torn down and are replaced with the preferences of the middle class. The same fate has befallen the first Police Station in Uganda. The first Hospital in Uganda was what is today Entebbe grade B. Unfortunately, many elderly buildings in Entebbe are being converted to look like those new structures in Kitooro, Kiwafu and Bugonga residential areas. When Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister who baptised Uganda the Pearl of Africa came to Uganda, a team of three men carried him to Kampala on a Rick Shaw. Sir Hesketh Bell once owned the prestigious State House today on Nawambwa hill in Entebbe. In 1908, it was Hesketh Bell who again brought the first motorised transport to Uganda. It was an albion car and lorry, which excited the folks. Later, he imported an Indian elephant as an experiment in possible transport systems. Then that Anglican missionary Dr. Albert Cook and his wife were the first commuters to travel from Mengo to Entebbe on board a bicycle in 1903. The trip was the fastest, having taken four hours compared to the two days spent in a boat. Today, the same journey is 23 miles, taking less than an hour drive. The house where former President Godfrey Binaisa was put under house arrest for a year is now a ghost house, guarded by a UPDF soldier with an AK 47. In the background is an eye sore of rusted iron sheets, as the paint peels off the walls. The airport kept the world on its toes when Dictator Idi Amin allowed Arab terrorists aboard a highjacked Air France plane to land in Entebbe. This was where hostages spent weeks of agony as the authorities bargained for their lives. The damage left by the worlds most triumphant rescue team which freed 103 hostages, is still evident at the old airport. This rescue mission strengthened the backbone of the Jewish people. Entebbe municipal council would make an extra coin charging guests touring some of these precious structures. Just like archeological findings, this creative architecture is too important to part with. Ends

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