Nakasero hill: The basket of controversy
One of the greatest Arabian fables is that of the Arab and the camel in which, during a heavy sandstorm, the camel asked the Arab to allow him to put its snout in his tent to breathe well.
By George Laghu
One of the greatest Arabian fables is that of the Arab and the camel in which, during a heavy sandstorm, the camel asked the Arab to allow him to put its snout in his tent to breathe well. “Well, my dear camel, you may put in your snout, but not the whole of your body, the tent is too small,†said the Arab. The camel put in its snout, its head, its neck and hump and later, its body and threw the Arab out of the tent into the sandstorm. Such is the relationship between colonial institutions and those that succeeded them after independence.
To establish a stronghold over Kampala, the British established an army garrison overlooking the town above the lowlands infested with “impalaâ€, the Kabaka’s favourite hunt. From the vantage point of the garrison, the ascent to what is now known as old Kampala, could be monitored. The garrison, Fort Lugard, was built on a hill outside Kampala with two cannon guns to defend the city in case of attack.
At the garrison, African soldiers made colourful parades. In the afternoons, their wives, who stayed in the lowlands, ascended the hill with baskets taking food for their husbands.
However, it was not until the drought in 1938–40 when the garrison became a food distribution centre, that it was the turn of people from all walks of life to climb the hill with baskets to get food. Since then, that hill has come to be known as Nakasero or the hill that is climbed with a basket.
With the hill secure, the colonial government built a state lodge for the governor in the neighbourhood and soon, a church was built for the British citizens in the garrison and state lodge. A whites-only club also sprung up. In 1952, a whites only hospital was built in Nakasero to cater for the colonialists. To serve their stores and those of the affluent Asian class, the colonialists established Nakasero market. With blessing from the authorities at Nakasero, the Goan community from India built Christ the King church and Shimoni Demonstration School.
The church morphed into All Saints Cathedral and the garrison is wasting away as the police quartermaster’s store.
The European Hospital became the home of the national television station, Uganda broadcasting corporation (UBC-TV), formerly known as UTV. It is also home to the department of information and an annex of the president’s office, where the minister of state for information sits in the office of the former medical superintendent while the veteran news anchorman, Francis Bbale, reads from a former maternity theatre.
The whites only club developed into Uganda Club, a post independence reserve for ministers and government officials. Obote’s government state house machinery maintained its presence in Kampala by taking control of the club which was one of the few places in town constantly watered with Premium and was conveniently located.
Like in the story of the Arab and the camel, the president’s office asked the information ministry to temporarily house some of its departments awaiting the “storm†of renovations in parliament and state house, Entebbe.
Having put its snout in the tent of the information ministry, the president’s office pushed in its neck bringing in the department of ethics and integrity and later pushing itself in to throw out the owner of the tent — UBC-TV.
As the government now hands over the premises of the former European Hospital, turned UTV and now UBC-TV, ironically to some Arab investors who will build a five star hotel there, the question is what will happen to Fort Lugard, which in addition to its historical value was the first prison where the hangman’s noose was employed.
The way the structures on Nakasero Hill are handled makes one think Nakasero is the garbage can of Kampala. In the 1960s, hidden rooms in the backyard of UTV became offices of Obote’s dreaded general safety Unit where the director general sat in what used to be the blood bank, where to date, antennae of their wireless communication stands testimony.
UTV provided camouflage for Idi Amin’s state research bureau officers who worked as undercover UTV staffers.
As UBC-TV relocates to the premises of the Former Radio Uganda now UBC-Radio, not all will be rosy for the office blocks.
Since independence Nakasero colonial structures have continued to dog successive governments with the stay of the premises of the European Hospital being most interesting.
In 1963 when the government of Uganda wanted to establish a national television, instead of building structures that will conform to broadcasting standards, it chose to vacate the European hospital so that its buildings were used to house the station. The spoils of the hospital were shared between the then ministry of tourism and broadcasting and the ministry of health where the former got the main hospital building and the junior quarters, while the later took the senior quarters.
The houses of the medical superintendent and his deputy were allocated to state house. To date, it is not uncommon to hear the staff of the President’s office, ministries of health and information squabbling over houses in Nakasero with each raising reasonable claims.
Nakasero remains a beehive of activity with the hill being of great interest especially in the colonial structures.
The former state lodge has now turned into a fully-fledged statehouse pending the renovation of the Entebbe state house. Since its relocation to Kampala, hawk-eyed officials of the state house spotted some of the empty office accommodation at the former hospital and hatched a plan for the president’s office to use some of the offices as its left over pre-fabricated slabs used for building latrines is in great disrepair.
As for Nakasero Primary School, its playfield is in contention and Shimoni Demonstration School also in the environs of Nakasero, is shifting to leave room for another hotelier. Nakasero market is up for grabs ostensibly for improvement.
However, not every development effort has been a hazard for Nakasero. Kampala’s main through road, Kampala road, which also forms part of the urban Trans-African Highway runs through lower Nakasero along which high rise buildings have been constructed.
Ends
One of the greatest Arabian fables is that of the Arab and the camel in which, during a heavy sandstorm, the camel asked the Arab to allow him to put its snout in his tent to breathe well. “Well, my dear camel, you may put in your snout, but not the whole of your body, the tent is too small,†said the Arab. The camel put in its snout, its head, its neck and hump and later, its body and threw the Arab out of the tent into the sandstorm. Such is the relationship between colonial institutions and those that succeeded them after independence.
To establish a stronghold over Kampala, the British established an army garrison overlooking the town above the lowlands infested with “impalaâ€, the Kabaka’s favourite hunt. From the vantage point of the garrison, the ascent to what is now known as old Kampala, could be monitored. The garrison, Fort Lugard, was built on a hill outside Kampala with two cannon guns to defend the city in case of attack.
At the garrison, African soldiers made colourful parades. In the afternoons, their wives, who stayed in the lowlands, ascended the hill with baskets taking food for their husbands.
However, it was not until the drought in 1938–40 when the garrison became a food distribution centre, that it was the turn of people from all walks of life to climb the hill with baskets to get food. Since then, that hill has come to be known as Nakasero or the hill that is climbed with a basket.
With the hill secure, the colonial government built a state lodge for the governor in the neighbourhood and soon, a church was built for the British citizens in the garrison and state lodge. A whites-only club also sprung up. In 1952, a whites only hospital was built in Nakasero to cater for the colonialists. To serve their stores and those of the affluent Asian class, the colonialists established Nakasero market. With blessing from the authorities at Nakasero, the Goan community from India built Christ the King church and Shimoni Demonstration School.
The church morphed into All Saints Cathedral and the garrison is wasting away as the police quartermaster’s store.
The European Hospital became the home of the national television station, Uganda broadcasting corporation (UBC-TV), formerly known as UTV. It is also home to the department of information and an annex of the president’s office, where the minister of state for information sits in the office of the former medical superintendent while the veteran news anchorman, Francis Bbale, reads from a former maternity theatre.
The whites only club developed into Uganda Club, a post independence reserve for ministers and government officials. Obote’s government state house machinery maintained its presence in Kampala by taking control of the club which was one of the few places in town constantly watered with Premium and was conveniently located.
Like in the story of the Arab and the camel, the president’s office asked the information ministry to temporarily house some of its departments awaiting the “storm†of renovations in parliament and state house, Entebbe.
Having put its snout in the tent of the information ministry, the president’s office pushed in its neck bringing in the department of ethics and integrity and later pushing itself in to throw out the owner of the tent — UBC-TV.
As the government now hands over the premises of the former European Hospital, turned UTV and now UBC-TV, ironically to some Arab investors who will build a five star hotel there, the question is what will happen to Fort Lugard, which in addition to its historical value was the first prison where the hangman’s noose was employed.
The way the structures on Nakasero Hill are handled makes one think Nakasero is the garbage can of Kampala. In the 1960s, hidden rooms in the backyard of UTV became offices of Obote’s dreaded general safety Unit where the director general sat in what used to be the blood bank, where to date, antennae of their wireless communication stands testimony.
UTV provided camouflage for Idi Amin’s state research bureau officers who worked as undercover UTV staffers.
As UBC-TV relocates to the premises of the Former Radio Uganda now UBC-Radio, not all will be rosy for the office blocks.
Since independence Nakasero colonial structures have continued to dog successive governments with the stay of the premises of the European Hospital being most interesting.
In 1963 when the government of Uganda wanted to establish a national television, instead of building structures that will conform to broadcasting standards, it chose to vacate the European hospital so that its buildings were used to house the station. The spoils of the hospital were shared between the then ministry of tourism and broadcasting and the ministry of health where the former got the main hospital building and the junior quarters, while the later took the senior quarters.
The houses of the medical superintendent and his deputy were allocated to state house. To date, it is not uncommon to hear the staff of the President’s office, ministries of health and information squabbling over houses in Nakasero with each raising reasonable claims.
Nakasero remains a beehive of activity with the hill being of great interest especially in the colonial structures.
The former state lodge has now turned into a fully-fledged statehouse pending the renovation of the Entebbe state house. Since its relocation to Kampala, hawk-eyed officials of the state house spotted some of the empty office accommodation at the former hospital and hatched a plan for the president’s office to use some of the offices as its left over pre-fabricated slabs used for building latrines is in great disrepair.
As for Nakasero Primary School, its playfield is in contention and Shimoni Demonstration School also in the environs of Nakasero, is shifting to leave room for another hotelier. Nakasero market is up for grabs ostensibly for improvement.
However, not every development effort has been a hazard for Nakasero. Kampala’s main through road, Kampala road, which also forms part of the urban Trans-African Highway runs through lower Nakasero along which high rise buildings have been constructed.
Ends