Kiteezi: A good place for business

Kiteezi is that place popularly known to be the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) dumping site for all the garbage collected in Kampala.

It is located off Gayaza Road, when you branch off from Mpererwe trading centre. But it can also be accessed when you branch off from Matugga trading center along Bombo Road, though that is a longer route.

Chairman LC1, Godfrey Zaake, says Kiteezi is a parish with about nine villages; Bumbu, Lusanja (where garbage from Kampala is disposed of), Bamba, Kabaga, Namalele, Kayanga, Kizingiza, Lubatu and Kaabuwoko.

Developments
Through observation, Kiteezi seems to be more populated than one would have thought, with beautiful homes, others aging, commercial establishments, rentals and very busy trading centres as you drive through the old tarmacked road.

Rehema Nanyonga Kawooya, who has been a resident for 18 years, shares on the dramatic development of the area. “Kiteezi has more than doubled in development over the years. By the time my husband and I came here, most of the land was unoccupied. There were mostly old houses with big banana plantations and just a few people in the trading centre (Kiteezi),” Nanyonga narrates.

Recent developments
She adds that there were about two schools in the area; Kiteezi Primary School and Kiteezi Centre for the disabled. Currently, the area has many schools. The chairman attributes this development to the opening up of land.

“We previously had very many elderly residents who had stayed in the area for more than 30 years. They owned many acres of land and never wanted to sell it.” With time, this land was passed on to their children who have sold off most of it, he says.

Land and housing
Richard Kayongo, a property broker in the area says most of the land has been sold out. “It is currently hard to get more than an acre. The best you can get is an acre and small plots,” Kayongo says. A 50ft by 50ft plot of Kabaka’s land is about Shs10m and a 50X100 on milo land is between Shs40 and Shs45m. An acre goes for Shs150 and Shs250m.

Houses for rent are also available, with a single room going for between Shs50,000 and Shs150,000. Double rooms are between Shs120,000 and Shs200,000 while self-contained apartments are between Shs300,000 and Shs500,000. These, however are not very common in the area since most people have residential homes.

Kayongo however notes that commercial buildings are more lucrative in the area, and renting a small space in a shop ranges from Shs150,000 and Shs500,000 depending on the size.

Zaake warns on land fraud in the area and cautions whoever wants to buy to go through the authorities.
Generally, Kiteezi is one busy small town bursting out with life, easily accessible due to presence of a small taxi park in Mpererwe. It is dusty, since the road is only half way tarmacked, but full of promise.

Security
When asked about security in the area, the chairman says, over time, security in the area has improved. “First, we had a police post, which was later upgraded to a police station, and that has improved security. We are promoting community policing, so that police works hand in hand with the residents,” Zaake explains.