It is too late to save Nakivubo
Feb 15, 2009
JAMES BAKAMA<br><b>I SAY SO</b><br><br>KAMPALA is an interesting place. It’s the only city where toilets are built on roads, industries constructed in swamps and hotels and shopping malls erected on sports grounds.
JAMES BAKAMA
I SAY SO
KAMPALA is an interesting place. It’s the only city where toilets are built on roads, industries constructed in swamps and hotels and shopping malls erected on sports grounds.
So, I guess only a few people were caught off guard by last week's news that a section of Nakivubo stadium is being converted into a bus terminal.
By the time tractors and graders raved into motion at a virgin portion of the stadium last week, parts of it had already been serving as public parking yards, stores and a bus terminal.
What was most disturbing however was the attitude of leading sports authorities to the development.
Sports minister Charles Bakkabulindi insisted that the developments were temporary. To be exact, he said the bus terminal would only exist for a year. What a joke!
What’s happening in Nakivubo is called creeping encroachment. Ugandans will one day wake up only to find a shopping mall on what is currently the football pitch.
You only have to look back at the Centenary Park, Butabika Hospital land and Lugogo Shoprite projects to know where Nakivubo is headed.
One of the baits the South African investors used to acquire the Lugogo piece of land was a pledge to build KCC FC a modern stadium. What KCC instead got was a simple training ground for 3000 people.
Bakkabulindi like the South Africans, is promising Ugandans paradise. But does he really care what happens to Nakivubo? Isn’t this the same minister who simply looked on as Namboole stadium was temporarily converted into a police barracks?
Nakivubo's management committee chairman Godfrey Kisekka wasn’t as subtle as his boss.
Kisekka, who interestingly is also KCC FC chairman, said football was dead hence the need to convert the stadium to other money generating activities. Need I ask whether Bakkabulindi and Kisekka deserve the offices they hold then?
Isn’t it also time city authorities told us what happened to the land apportioned for bus parks in Kampala’s master plan?
--> jbakama@newvision.co.ug
I SAY SO
KAMPALA is an interesting place. It’s the only city where toilets are built on roads, industries constructed in swamps and hotels and shopping malls erected on sports grounds.
So, I guess only a few people were caught off guard by last week's news that a section of Nakivubo stadium is being converted into a bus terminal.
By the time tractors and graders raved into motion at a virgin portion of the stadium last week, parts of it had already been serving as public parking yards, stores and a bus terminal.
What was most disturbing however was the attitude of leading sports authorities to the development.
Sports minister Charles Bakkabulindi insisted that the developments were temporary. To be exact, he said the bus terminal would only exist for a year. What a joke!
What’s happening in Nakivubo is called creeping encroachment. Ugandans will one day wake up only to find a shopping mall on what is currently the football pitch.
You only have to look back at the Centenary Park, Butabika Hospital land and Lugogo Shoprite projects to know where Nakivubo is headed.
One of the baits the South African investors used to acquire the Lugogo piece of land was a pledge to build KCC FC a modern stadium. What KCC instead got was a simple training ground for 3000 people.
Bakkabulindi like the South Africans, is promising Ugandans paradise. But does he really care what happens to Nakivubo? Isn’t this the same minister who simply looked on as Namboole stadium was temporarily converted into a police barracks?
Nakivubo's management committee chairman Godfrey Kisekka wasn’t as subtle as his boss.
Kisekka, who interestingly is also KCC FC chairman, said football was dead hence the need to convert the stadium to other money generating activities. Need I ask whether Bakkabulindi and Kisekka deserve the offices they hold then?
Isn’t it also time city authorities told us what happened to the land apportioned for bus parks in Kampala’s master plan?
--> jbakama@newvision.co.ug