Know your hood : Bulindo, A suburb sprouting from farmland
What you need to know:
This neighbourhood was previously mostly farms and ranches and while these are still there, more people are building their homes in Bulindo.
At 3pm I arrive at Bulindo, a suburb located in Kira Sub-County, 21km away from the city. As one branches off to their right from Kira town roundabout, you’re welcomed by a murram road that stretches up to Kitudwe.
At the trading centre, is a couple of youth playing the traditional “Ludo” (call it gambling) while the defence chairperson looks on.
This seemingly fast growing town is a residential and farming village with a scattered housing system. This suburb is dominated by middle-class residential houses with mainly large privately owned farms and ranches.
Transport fares
It was my first time to Bulindo and I sat in a taxi for almost an hour before we got there. With the dusty road, it was obvious I was going to get flu and cough.
From the Old Taxi Park, you have to part with Shs2,000 and Shs2,500 in the busy evening hours. And from Bulindo to the city it costs Shs2,000.
Security
Ismail Sematimba, a resident, says security in Bulindo is not-so-bad since they have a police station around. “We also take initiative to guard our neighbour’s property. There are also a few cases of night robbery but police has managed to control that. We no longer get such crime cases,” he reveals. A police constable who preferred anonymity said they receive not more than five cases of theft in a month: “We receive ‘normal’ criminal cases like theft and assault. Cases of murder are rare.”
Schools
Owing to the fact that Bulindo is still a developing suburb, the schools are also relatively new. The schools include Bulindo Primary School, St Joseph’s Primary School and Maryhill Academy, a day and boarding, nursery to primary school, among others.
One may not be in position to point out unique physical features around Bulindo but it has two hills and of course the green from the various plantations gives this place a fresh look. There are barely outstanding places in Bulindo. Just a few third class bars, no supermarkets and nothing like a mall. This suburb mainly comprises hardware shops because of the construction that goes on around the area.
Despite all these, Bulindo remains one of the best bets when it comes to real estate. This is one of the virgin places open for development.
Flaws
One of the main challenges in Bulindo is the transport. Taxis that operate on this route are few and it will take you more than 30 minutes to find a taxi coming from town.
This has left residents late for work and other business appointments as Christopher Aliro, a resident, points out: “There are times when I’m so late for work that I’m left with no option but to take a boda boda to work. This is really costly, especially for the average earners.”
There is also a very big challenge of lack of road signs. This is so hard for those driving at night since the road has humps and very many pot holes.
Nonetheless, residents of Bulindo are very proud to live there and are highly optimistic that these challenges will come to pass.
“Most of us believe the government officials will heed our pleas someday because we trust our LC 1 chairman is lobbying for the changes,” Aliro says.
