Kikaaya, home of the Bahai temple

Kakaaya is a Luganda word for Muslim veil. According to Moses Musoke, who has spent 30 years in this zone, Kikaaya had very many Muslims as is still the case today. The Muslims were settled in the area stretching from Kisaasi to Kikaaya. It is from the Muslim women’s veil that the area got the name Kikaaya.
Kikaaya is a Kampala neighbourhood located in Kawempe North Divison. It is bordered by Kisaasi to the north, Kulambiro to the northeast, Kigoowa to the east, Bukoto to the southeast, Kyebando to the southwest, Kanyanya to the west and Mpererwe to the northwest.

It is approximately 7.5 kilometres 4.7 miles, north of Kampala city centre. Kikaaya is on a hill and most of it is occupied by the compound of the Bahai Temple in Uganda. Bahai Temple, the most prominent feature in Kikaaya, gives one of a beautiful of surrounding areas.
Before the year 2000, Kikaaya was a remote bushy area, but it is now predominantly middle class. The area is very accessible with recently tarmacked roads, which have saved residents from the burden of living along a dusty road.

Land and housing.
The area became a target for property when the main roads were tarmacked.
According to Benjamin Kigula, the chairman for Youth in the Local Council leadership, says the area is full of plush apartments and many are still under construction.
It is hard to find a single room, most of the houses are family houses with two bedrooms self-contained and they go for Shs400,000 and Shs500,000. He says the land has also been almost sold out and those who need a 50 by 100 plot of land will have to part with Shs200m.

Employment and business
The area has a big business customer base growing therefore businesses such as supermarkets are being setup and people do not have to go to Kisaasi or Kyebando anymore to do house shopping.
According to Kigula, residents were even forced to put up a small market because initially, people would have to go to Kalerwe market or small stalls in neighbouring Kyebando for groceries. Kigula, however, adds that authorities should build them a bigger market because the existing one is small and commodities are so expensive that they still have to go to Kalerwe Market, which quite a distance away.
The youth in the area largely depend on building at sites since many people are constructing and a few others ride boda bodas.

Utilities and services.
According to Benjamin Kigula, the area has got many private primary schools and few secondary schools. He adds that most of the schools are in the neighbouring villages. Residents have access to piped water.
The area also has electricity, with all parts under the Yaka system.

Health
Medical care is still average as residents rely on small private clinics. For serious illnesses and maternity, they have to go to neighbouring Komamboga, where there is a government health centre.
A paediatric private hospital was recently opened for those who can afford private health care.

Security and crime.
The area has a police post but Kigula says they cannot rely on police because sometimes their response is very slow so the residents do the policing themselves.
“We know most of the people in the area and if we find someone we do not know walking around, especially at night, you have to answer questions,” says Kigula.
Kigula says the area is generally safe. However, the few cases are due to the recent construction of the road connecting Kikaaya to neighbouring areas thus giving criminals access to their zone. The criminals use the road because it has no traffic lights. He advises the local government to install streets lights on their road.

Bahai Temple
Seated atop Kikaaya Hill, the Baha’i Temple can be seen from most parts of surrounding areas. This is home to the 63- year-old mother Temple of the Baha’i in Africa.
It is one of the only nine such places of worship in the world and the only one of its kind on the African continent. .
By Henry Lubega

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