Kampala
  25/09/07
 
UGANDA INSTALS SPY CAMERAS IN KAMPALA TO PROTECT CHOGM DIGNITARIES AT THE SUMMIT.

By Leo Odera Omolo

With preparation for the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) summit which is scheduled for November, the Ugandan capital City, Kampala has undergone a remarkable change from the filthy, dusty city it used to be.

Granted, there are still quite a number of grapping potholes, but a relatively good job has been done of trying to maintain cleanliness in the city.

Anyone driving along the Entebbe highway at least to the efforts the government has put into the beautification process. Where broken pavements once lay, fresh flower beds have replaced those that were easily trampled upon by careless pedestrians. The snacks for restaurants and shops that once graced both sides of the highway have been razed and grass and palm trees planted.

The disadvantage is that they were planted during heavy rainy season and the heavy rains have weakened some of them.

In the city centre and suburbs, pedestrians have been catered for with pavements lining both sides of the roads. Acacia Avenue now sports pavements where footpaths once were, Ditto Jinja and Kampala roads. The last major repairs to pavements in the city were done in 1998 when former US President Bill Clinton visited Uganda.

Although they are yet to prove their worth, solar street lights and wind powered lights line Entebbe Road.

Mayor Nasser Sebaggola, not to be out done, printed posters that cost more than the South African donated bins, announcing that he was delivering as promised.

In addition the process of installation of spy cameras at strategic points within the city is already underway to put any possibility of terrorists’ infiltration on check. This will help the police apprehend criminals. Cameras are also being installed in hospitals around the city.

While it was not part of the CHOGM preparation process, the revamping of the Jinja Round Junction complete with functioning traffic lights is viewed by the city residents as a bonus.

Ends.

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com