Ham Has Transformed Nakivubo from a Congested Area to a Modern Shopping Center and Sports Complex

By David Serumaga

I happened to have a walk around downtown Kampala this week and what I found was surprising because few years ago, there was lots of congestion and shops were all congested, streets filled with vendors and even Nakivubo stadium structure was still at infant stage but just recently I walked around from the Old Taxi Park side towards Mukwano Arcade and directly to Ham shopping mall and I had access to the stadium and shopping complex.

Many boda bodas now have access from the park side to Kisenyi side via the clear paths created around the stadium, business was moving on because the business area around town has expanded bringing to order the past congestion around that area.

Seeing things from a realistic perspective, we must agree that there is a big contribution made by our fellow Ugandans in transforming Kampala Business Center from a congested area to a well accessed and modern shopping environment.

Taken as a whole, Nakivubo business center is one of the most rapidly growing urban business areas in our great city Kampala. Before the CEO Ham Enterprises, Hajji Hamis Kiggundu took it upon himself to transform this area, access to shops was problematic and there was too much congestion.

It was the stronghearted people who could maneuver around Nakivubo and get back without any complaint. Walking through Nakivubo access to shops and the then Nakivubo Stadium, you could hear men with big voices shouting ‘Fasi Fasi, Vaawo Mpitewo’.

Sports lovers who used to flock to Nakivubo Stadium to watch football, could not drive through and access the stadium with a car. One would park his or her vehicle as far as Jinja road.Cases of pick pocketers were extremely high in the areas of Nakivubo due to overcrowding in the roads.

When Hajji Hamis Kiggundu constructed arcades in Nakivubo, 90% of the vendors left the streets and got a chance to find space in well-constructed and secure shops. These shops are now employing thousands of Ugandans whose business capacity has doubled in growth and development.

Currently, someone can drive through Nakivubo business centre to a well-protected parking space which wasn’t there before the redevelopment of this area hence increasing accessibility to the sports and shopping center.

A well-planned shopping area has made a number of people flock to this area on a daily basis to get high quality outfits. This has in another way increased government revenue as well increasing the standards of Ugandans who do businesses in this area.

I am exceedingly honored to testify that what was a dilapidated Nakivubo Memorial Stadium has now taken its modern shape with an ample sports environment. The 35000-seater stadium will build more talents and create jobs to hundreds of Ugandans and also solve Uganda’s football problems of hosting games at home.

The public should not be worried about the stadium being surrounded by the business community because globally, all stadiums are becoming multitasking productivity where both the business and sports can go on concurrently.With such an idea, many people will be minting money from these Sports fans who will be flocking the sports center for the various games and sports.

I can strongly confirm that Ham and the contractors are on track to not only complete the work in the shortest time possible but also to make a statement about their capacity as Ugandans to do their best.

Once completed, Nakivubo Memorial Stadium will have a pitch, two suspended floors, a two-level pavilion, netball grounds, and a roof. It will also have other sports activities like netball, bodybuilding, and athletics among others.

There is a lot to learn from Hajji Hamis Kiggundu as a Ugandan investor doing business here and has transformed what was a congested slam to a modern shopping and sports complex

Serumaga David

Concerned Ugandan

serumagadavid916@gmail.com