Prime
Wankulukuku boasts of good security
Wankulukuku Stadium, the most prominent feature in the area. Photo by Beatrice Nakibuuka
Its name dates back to the time Kabaka Muteesa II was king of Buganda. Wankulukuku was named so because it was a flat area with many small anti hills that are called Nkulukuku. The zone is found in Rubaga Division, Kampala. It is surrounded by Kabowa, Kitebi, Nyanama, Ssuuna zone and St Anne.
Muteesa II Wankulukuku stadium, where Express Football Club plays their home games, is the most prominent feature in the zone at the boundary between Wankuluku and Kitebi.
The zone is more pronounced and a reference point for very many people. If they are going to a neaby zone, people still say they are going to Wankulukuku and it is only after they have reached their destination that they figure out the name of where they are.
It has several access roads such as Ssuuna, Gabunga and Wamala roads the latter that heads to Nyanama. It is about 10 kilometres from Kampala City Centre and if one is in the Old Taxi Park, the taxis to Wankulukuku cost Shs1, 500. If you prefer using a boda boda, the trip will cost you between Shs3, 000 and Shs4, 000.
Security and crime
The area is secure with a police station so the residents enjoy the free security benefit of the station. According to Medi Kirumira, who is responsible for security and defence in the zone, except for a few cases of domestic violence and petty thieves that snatch clothes, Wankulukuku boasts of few criminal cases. With the strengthened chairperson policy, the security team appointed by the chairman move around the village to arrest any thugs that may be moving in the night.
Kirumira says: “We have not had any incidences of such big crimes like murder or burglars breaking into houses. We have night drives where we move around the village to ensure that the people are secure. We also work with the police station that is within the village boundaries. This has really offered great security for the people we lead.”
Economy
According to Ali Ssepungu, the LC1 chairman of Wankulukuku Village, although most of the residents work from the city centre doing office jobs and others are self-employed, there is a remarkable growth in the economic activity of the place with a market centre called Wankulukuku Market and an abbatoir. Some people own kiosks, boutiques and grain mills.
Social facilities
In the past, the area had a challenge with people finding health care but with the developments, there are several private clinics and dispensaries that are assessable. Some people go to Kitebi Health Centre, less than a kilometre away from Wankulukuku where they can get free medical services.
There are about 10 primary schools and day care centres but no secondary schools. These can still be found in the neighbouring zones.
There is a piped water system in the area. Those with no access to piped water buy a 20-litre jerrycan at Shs100 and Shs200. Electricity supply is constant although some residents use solar power.
Land and housing
Renting a single room in Wankulukuku ranges between Shs100,000 to Shs150, 000 and a four-bed roomed house can go for Shs600,000 to Shs800, 000. There are more rental houses than residential houses in the area according to Luawaga.
There are not many idle plots of land in the area and when someone chooses to sell their houses, the price would depend on the size of the plot, situation of the seller and where you are buying. For plots near main roads, the price goes as high as Shs50m for a 100X50 ft plot.
Challenges
The village is faced with a problem of many idle youth that spend a lot of time drinking, and gambling, especially sports betting. These youth are a great threat because they are unemployed.
“Also, since the area is located in a low flat land, the poor drainage systems with narrow water channels are worsened by poor handling of rubbish. When it rains, some of the places in the area flood up,” says Ssempungu.
He adds: “The roads leading to the village are not tarmacked, so dust becomes a major challenge, especially in the dry season.”
