“The way to wealth is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, industry and frugality: that is, waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality nothing will do, and with them everything.” – Benjamin Franklin
You can go back to 2013, when Ham Enterprises pitched the Nakivubo Stadium to takeover for the vendors at Owino Market or the Park Yard. Therefore, the actions of President Yoweri Kaguta Musveni calling out people is outrageous. As Bosco is forgetting his own business-deals and agreements that directly interfered with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and City Hall. All of these had to comply, as the buy-outs of the vendors and the lack of possible movements, the building of the Stadium has made issues since 2013 and boiled over in 2017. When the KCCA and the Ministry of Kampala Beti Kamya issued an order to throw them out.
That is why the sorry state of the area. This should be knowledge for the micro-managing President. However, he acts like it as a blank slate and he has no involvement, when the agreement between Ham Enterprises and the state, happen at the State House and he was signing the documents, ordering the Ministry, KCCA and take it out of the hands of the City Hall. So, it is really insincere what he was saying yesterday.
“The government is working out modalities of retrieving these market titles from the rich and hand ownership back to vendors. Kampala Capital City Authority will help oversee management of these markets. Whereas I commend traders in Owino and Nakasero markets for working hard to create wealth through their Saccos and responding to our NRM call, I am unimpressed by the poor state of the Old Taxi Park. I am told this is partly due to the leadership wrangles among the taxi park stakeholders facilitated by opposition leaders in the city. Stop electing selfish leaders who only care about their salaries. However, we shall fix this matter” (Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, 05.10.2018).
That we can really see, thanks to all the propaganda and the pictures of yesterday, that the 2013 deal and changes of the Park Yard haven’t finished yet. As the President was most likely there to check his investments and his trade-offs. That is why he was bothered of the slow progress, as the planned stadium are still not done and there has gone 5 years. This is one year after the market and vendors was moved by decree of the appointed Minister Kamya.
The President is mad that Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago is a selfish leader, when in general, the deals done in Kampala and Owino is his. Meaning the President is selfish, not Lukwago who has fought for the vendors. That is the ironies, but also the reality. That is why the 32 years and going Executive, is forgetting his privilege and use of power. Ham Enterprise is surely working, but slowly, the stadium is in the building process and surely why he visited and complained, as he expected it to be done yesterday. So his investment could grow proper yields, like his farms. However, that is not how it works with urban development, especially when you need spaces for malls and other vendors, who was kicked out.
Would he ever fix their issues, the bad loans in the DFCU bank, which the vendors had in 2017? No, he wouldn’t care or carry them as their livelihood is at stake? But that isn’t the cup of tea that this President carries. Peace.
MinBane 