After losing a son in an accident, Kato took to repairing roads
IT is 2:30pm and I am in Mpererwe on Gayaza Road, searching for a man who has maintained one of the roads in the area for the last 20 years. When I give him a call, he tells me to ask any <i>bodaboda</i> cyclist to take me to a man who maintains the road in Mugalu Zone. At about 3:00pm and under the
By Halima Shaban
IT is 2:30pm and I am in Mpererwe on Gayaza Road, searching for a man who has maintained one of the roads in the area for the last 20 years. When I give him a call, he tells me to ask any bodaboda cyclist to take me to a man who maintains the road in Mugalu Zone. At about 3:00pm and under the scorching sun, the man is busy with his hoe, doing what he loves best — maintaining roads.
Ali Kato, 49, a retired civil servant, who lives in Mpererwe-Mugalu zone, has maintained the road for the past 20 years despite the fact that he has never owned a car.
and he vows to continue doing so.
Kato started maintaining the road in 1980 as part of the Bulungi Bwa Nsi (community service). At the time, he worked for the Uganda Posts and Telecommunications (UPTC), but he would spare time to participate in the voluntary community service.
Those days, Bulungi Bwa Nsi involved the whole community. But due to what he calls a deteriorated sense of social responsibility, people have left community service to politicians.
“When I retired in 1995, I committed all my time to maintaining this road (Mugalu Road) because I had nothing to do,†Kato says.
Born to Sowedi Mbowa and Saniya Nakatude (RIP), Kato attributes his hard work to his late father who was a dedicated farmer.
My father would go to the garden at 5:00am and return at 1:00pm for lunch. After lunch, he would attend to his animals. He argued that resting during the day would make you sick,†Kato says.
Born in a family of 30 children, Kato attended Namasumbi Muslim Primary in Mukono district,before joining Kibuli Teachers Training College for Junior two.
While at Kibuli, Kato’s parents failed to raise his school fees, but with the help of his friends who where working, he joined UPTC as a casual labourer.
“In 1969, UPTC wanted to recruit more staff and I was nominated not because I had the required papers, but because I was hard working and obedient,†he says.
Kato says he was elected head of his colleagues and in 1991 was promoted to senior technician, a post he held until 1995 when he retired.
Anthony Mutebi, a resident of Mugalu zone, says everyone in the village is astonished at Kato’s dedication.
He says Mugalu Road is the best maintained road in the village.
“We appreciate what Kato does for this community and we pray that God rewards him. Maintaining a road for over 15 years without pay is not easy,†Mutebi says.
In 1997 Kato got a shock of his life when a lorry rammed into his house, killing his 10-year-old son. At this point, it became inevitable for him to ensure the safety of others who might fall victim to bad roads.
“Whenever I remember that incident, I feel like it is bound to happen again, that is why I maintain this road,†Kato says.
He digs a foot deep and two-feet wide trenches on both sides of the road to provide for drainage.
“Some passersby think I am a casual labourer when they see me working long hours, but I ignore them.â€
However, Kato says some sympathisers who are grateful for his work give him a token of appreciation.
To rid the 2km stretch of its potholes, Kato uses polythene bags filled with sand and murrum to patch up the road.
“It is worse during the rainy season.
The rains make the stretch heavily-potholed. I sometimes dig channels in peoples’ gardens to divert the waters or buy murram to fill the potholes,†he says. As he takes me around the 2km stretch, he shows me a section at the end of the road which is in a sorry state as compared to what his efforts has brought to Mugalu Zone.
“If I stop working on Mugalu Road, it will become like that one,†he says.
“I work alone, but I if we were working as a community, our road would be better.â€
IT is 2:30pm and I am in Mpererwe on Gayaza Road, searching for a man who has maintained one of the roads in the area for the last 20 years. When I give him a call, he tells me to ask any bodaboda cyclist to take me to a man who maintains the road in Mugalu Zone. At about 3:00pm and under the scorching sun, the man is busy with his hoe, doing what he loves best — maintaining roads.
Ali Kato, 49, a retired civil servant, who lives in Mpererwe-Mugalu zone, has maintained the road for the past 20 years despite the fact that he has never owned a car.
and he vows to continue doing so.
Kato started maintaining the road in 1980 as part of the Bulungi Bwa Nsi (community service). At the time, he worked for the Uganda Posts and Telecommunications (UPTC), but he would spare time to participate in the voluntary community service.
Those days, Bulungi Bwa Nsi involved the whole community. But due to what he calls a deteriorated sense of social responsibility, people have left community service to politicians.
“When I retired in 1995, I committed all my time to maintaining this road (Mugalu Road) because I had nothing to do,†Kato says.
Born to Sowedi Mbowa and Saniya Nakatude (RIP), Kato attributes his hard work to his late father who was a dedicated farmer.
My father would go to the garden at 5:00am and return at 1:00pm for lunch. After lunch, he would attend to his animals. He argued that resting during the day would make you sick,†Kato says.
Born in a family of 30 children, Kato attended Namasumbi Muslim Primary in Mukono district,before joining Kibuli Teachers Training College for Junior two.
While at Kibuli, Kato’s parents failed to raise his school fees, but with the help of his friends who where working, he joined UPTC as a casual labourer.
“In 1969, UPTC wanted to recruit more staff and I was nominated not because I had the required papers, but because I was hard working and obedient,†he says.
Kato says he was elected head of his colleagues and in 1991 was promoted to senior technician, a post he held until 1995 when he retired.
Anthony Mutebi, a resident of Mugalu zone, says everyone in the village is astonished at Kato’s dedication.
He says Mugalu Road is the best maintained road in the village.
“We appreciate what Kato does for this community and we pray that God rewards him. Maintaining a road for over 15 years without pay is not easy,†Mutebi says.
In 1997 Kato got a shock of his life when a lorry rammed into his house, killing his 10-year-old son. At this point, it became inevitable for him to ensure the safety of others who might fall victim to bad roads.
“Whenever I remember that incident, I feel like it is bound to happen again, that is why I maintain this road,†Kato says.
He digs a foot deep and two-feet wide trenches on both sides of the road to provide for drainage.
“Some passersby think I am a casual labourer when they see me working long hours, but I ignore them.â€
However, Kato says some sympathisers who are grateful for his work give him a token of appreciation.
To rid the 2km stretch of its potholes, Kato uses polythene bags filled with sand and murrum to patch up the road.
“It is worse during the rainy season.
The rains make the stretch heavily-potholed. I sometimes dig channels in peoples’ gardens to divert the waters or buy murram to fill the potholes,†he says. As he takes me around the 2km stretch, he shows me a section at the end of the road which is in a sorry state as compared to what his efforts has brought to Mugalu Zone.
“If I stop working on Mugalu Road, it will become like that one,†he says.
“I work alone, but I if we were working as a community, our road would be better.â€