A fast growing trading centre
There are a number of businesses around Bulenga and these range from supermarkets, retail shops, mobile money shops and boutiques among others. pHOTOS by michael kakumirizi.
What you need to know:
Bulenga is growing at a fast rate and it is hard to get a plot of land by the main road.
Seven years ago, I went to Bulenga and it was very hard for me to get a decent restaurant. I had lunch in a crowded small room which was very hot. By the time I finished eating, I was all covered with sweat.
However, a recent visit to this place revealed a different picture. The place had completely changed with a number of developments in place. Currently, there are a number of commercial and residential buildings constructed all over the place. Several businesses such as boutiques, retail shops, food stalls, salons, mobile money shops, hardware shops and photo studios, among others, have also been established in the area.
Location
Bulenga is located in Wakiso District. It is about 12 km from Kampala City along Mityana Road. The transport fare to Bulenga is Shs2,000 and Shs1,500 to Kampala City.
According to Sarah Kalule, the chairperson of Bulenga B, the area covers about 530 acres. She says, “Bulenga is divided into A and B and has villages such as Gogonya, Kikaya and Biira. It is neighboured by villages like Busega and Bulaga.”
History
Augustino Ssenkolooto, a resident says the name Bulenga came from the trading activities that took place in the area in the past. Ssenkolooto, 65, notes that traders from Bunyoro Kingdom would bring goods like salt and onions with the intension of selling them in Kampala.
“However, at times Lubigi River (before Busega) would flood and there were no bridges for them to cross over. So they would sell their goods to nearby residents in different ratios. In this way, the place became famous and residents began describing it as gye balengera emiwendo gy’ebintu loosely translated as a place where goods are sold in ratios thus the name Bulenga.
Security
Hassan Musooba, the officer in charge of Bulenga Police Station, says, “We sensitise the communities about crimes such as domestic violence and theft among others. We also use crime preventers who inform us about the different happenings in the area.” Musooba adds that they also conduct night patrols with the help of crime preventers and area leaders, which have enabled them reduce the crime rate.
Facilities
Some of the schools in the area are Kikaya Secondary, Light Secondary, Nikaragwa Primary School and God Max Primary Schools. New Kampala Medical Centre and Biira Health Centre are the private health amenities found in the place.
However, while in Bulenga, you can shop at Fair Price and African supermarkets and in case you want a place to spend a night, Rijo Motel and High way Pub are the places you can go to.
Right now, Bulenga is developing at a high rate and if you have idle land, you are better off fencing it to keep squatters or land grabbers away. But on the whole, if you buy land in Bulenga, you can use it for both residential and commercial construction purposes.
