When computers started being imported into Uganda in late 1990, I think the government gave a window period to all civil servants to go and study computer basics, those who failed to comply most probably were either retired or laid off, and the new breed of graduates took over.
The same scenario is happening to Kololo SSS who have been borrowing a playground from the government since 1950 but have failed to develop it to suit the current development of the city. It is very absurd to have a bushy football pitch that is not only an area for harboring crime people but also is a breeding ground for rodents!!
According to the trending NBS TV video clip, the investor – Rajiv Ruparelia who is the proprietor of Kampala parents school alleges that some elements from Kololo SSS, moreover a public school misuse the poor vulnerable people from the nearby community to cause violence in a bid to destruct the development of the playground which is a public good.
It defeats logic to learn that an investor who has decided to put aside resources to construct a one-stop center stadium with the volleyball, basketball, football pitch, and a conference centre is being frustrated by an institution through employing services of hooliganism which dents the reputation of a school which is supposed to groom law-abiding citizens who value investors that employ youths who have finished school. We believe that when the stadium is complete, it will employ not less than 20 youths.
Just for reference, before Ham Kiggundu took over Nakivubo memorial stadium, the future of the stadium could not be predicted as it was a den of idol people who commit heinous crimes to Kampala workers, but through Public-private partnership (PPP), the National Council of Sports through Ministry of education decided to lease the wrecked stadium to an eligible investor of which sooner than later, we shall have a befitting facility. In the same spirit, the owner of Kampala Parents should be given space since they have legit and legal documents for the disputed space.
In a nutshell, therefore, I request the ministry of education officials to prevail over and teach those bad people at Kololo school about how PPP can help government to cause economic development as government commits its resources to other priority areas.
As a poor youth, I feel saddened when an investor is crying foul yet they just choose to invest their money here in Uganda so that our lives can be better through job creation.
Ben Ssebuguzi is an economist, entrepreneur, and secretary-general of the Uganda Poor Youth Movement (UPYM).
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