Protect city’s green spaces
Aug 16, 2009
THE presidential and foreign affairs committee has expressed concern over the decision by the President’s Office to turn the Commonwealth Green Park into a car park.
THE presidential and foreign affairs committee has expressed concern over the decision by the President’s Office to turn the Commonwealth Green Park into a car park.
The Commonwealth Green Park, located between Parliament and Serena Hotel, includes a Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting (CHOGM) monument. It was established in 2007 as part of activities to commemorate the Commonwealth Summit in Kampala.
The Park, according to the committee, has already suffered serious damage. The vehicles have destroyed the pavement and grass.
It is quite shocking that the Commonwealth Summit Park and Monument are being destroyed hardly two years after they were established.
The argument that the place is being used as a car park temporarily is untenable and not convincing, given what has been happening in the city over the past few years.
The city has been rapidly losing its public green spaces at an alarming rate. The Centenary Park is not only shrinking rapidly, but is now the ‘property’ of a private firm. What used to be the Main Railway Station Square opposite the city’s Railway station has equally been taken over, rather dubiously, by a private company that ironically also wants to turn it into a car park.
The Sheraton Gardens that originally was accessible to the public is now a restricted area. The Children’s Park on Bombo Road was recently turned into a haphazard market and the other Children’s Park in Kamwokya is under serious threat.
The public green spaces are not just important for recreation, but also for a healthy environment. Therefore, the irresponsible destruction of green spaces in the city must be reversed. Kampala has been referred to often as “the garden city of Africa†because of its lush, green appearance. But with the current rate of destruction, the city will not have any public green space within the next few years.
The Commonwealth Green Park, located between Parliament and Serena Hotel, includes a Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting (CHOGM) monument. It was established in 2007 as part of activities to commemorate the Commonwealth Summit in Kampala.
The Park, according to the committee, has already suffered serious damage. The vehicles have destroyed the pavement and grass.
It is quite shocking that the Commonwealth Summit Park and Monument are being destroyed hardly two years after they were established.
The argument that the place is being used as a car park temporarily is untenable and not convincing, given what has been happening in the city over the past few years.
The city has been rapidly losing its public green spaces at an alarming rate. The Centenary Park is not only shrinking rapidly, but is now the ‘property’ of a private firm. What used to be the Main Railway Station Square opposite the city’s Railway station has equally been taken over, rather dubiously, by a private company that ironically also wants to turn it into a car park.
The Sheraton Gardens that originally was accessible to the public is now a restricted area. The Children’s Park on Bombo Road was recently turned into a haphazard market and the other Children’s Park in Kamwokya is under serious threat.
The public green spaces are not just important for recreation, but also for a healthy environment. Therefore, the irresponsible destruction of green spaces in the city must be reversed. Kampala has been referred to often as “the garden city of Africa†because of its lush, green appearance. But with the current rate of destruction, the city will not have any public green space within the next few years.