When parking lots become lodges

Many times they are looked at with pity for they spend sleepless nights in the biting cold trying to eke out a living. Despite the biting cold, their take home is more of crumbs than real bread.

The wise ones improvise and make an extra buck as little as Shs30,000 on a bad night. I’m talking of those people who as you leave office, come in to ensure that whatever you have left behind is safe and available for you to use the next morning.
As you drive out or walk out of the gate, that gateman is thanking his God that night has come and he is grateful that you are not working in the dead of the night.

As you head for the warmth of your bed and pity him for he is going to endure the biting cold. Little did you know that by the break of day he will mostly likely have earned more than what you earn daily.
These security guards who watch over office premises in the upper scale Kampala and construction sites are the envy of their colleagues who guard places such as banks, hospitals, and other places that have CCTV cameras at their entrances.

Room on the go
The parking lots of many of these premises are turned into ‘park-and-go lodges’ for those who make use of the services of the ladies of the night. For just Shs3,000 per entry, a parking spot of your choice is availed for as long as you are being served by the lady of the night.

This fee cuts across whether you are in a car, boda boda or are a pedestrian, the fee is the same. With such constant supply, the guards are assured of not less than Shs30,000 per night.

This is not limited to compounds of office premises but also daytime parking lots which are a bit secluded from busy streets. Streets such as Clement Hill Road, across Corydon Road, Kagera Road, Portal Avenue, Colville street, MacKinnon Road, Kafu Road, Shimoni Road, Kintu Road also known as Said Barre Avenue and Katonga Road, among others.

For the brave and daring ones, the lower part of new Mulago parking area is also used though for it, the guards hardly know what the motorists are coming in for and they end up charging the normal parking fee of Shs1,000.

Hotspot
Along these roads, it’s very common to find the night guard waiting outside the gate and for the case of Clement Hill Road even the ladies of the night waiting by for clients. He doesn’t need to know whether you are a staff coming to work late he just opens the gate once the vehicle slows down towards the gate. Those on Clement Hill from the side of Nile Avenue, compete as they wave vehicles into the premises they guard. Payment is made at entrance not after.

The same applies to a construction site on MacKinnon Road. The open air parking along Shimon Road next to Electricity Regulatory Authority is one of the places used. One of its advantage is that it has a big supply base from the women who ply their trade on Katonga and Kagera roads. Some come from as far as Kintu Road.

The upper part of Kampala is frequented by motorists while the section of Portal Avenue is mostly used by motorcyclists and pedestrians. The presence of ladies of the night on Colville Street opposite Christ the King Church and on Kimathi Avenue act as a constant supply for the guards on these premises.

Friendly hosts
On Portal Avenue opposite Christ the King Church, the guard is more hospitable as he provides alternatives to clients who don’t want to use their cars. Used boxes are torn and spread on the landing area of the stairway to act as a sleeping area. He also allows them the comfort of the washroom behind the building.

The same place is used by motorcyclist and pedestrians. The Portal Avenue guard is so business-minded that he is ready to sell the freely distributed condoms supplied by the Ministry of Health at a cost of Shs2,000 for a set of three to round his earning from the buying ‘couple’ to a sum of Shs5,000.

However, this money does not come to these guards without sweat. They have to keep collecting all the used condoms littered by the not-so-careful customers. “Some people are very careless; they just throw away the used condoms. To keep our jobs we have to keep collecting them not to let the cat out of the bag,” a guard reveals.

Prostitution is illegal

Prostitution is the practice of engaging in sexual relations in exchange for payment or some other benefit. It is sometimes described as commercial sex. People who are engaged in this field are called prostitutes.

The Uganda’s Penal Code Act 1950 (138 & 139) defines a “prostitute” as a person who, in public or elsewhere, regularly or habitually holds himself or herself out as available for sexual intercourse or other sexual gratification for monetary or other material gain, and “prostitution” shall be construed accordingly.

Prostitution was discussed by the 7th Parliament as a controversial matter and prostitutes were referred to as sex workers. However, there is no such term as “sex work” under Uganda’s law. This clearly means that prostitution is not considered as work in Uganda.

This practice is not only limited to the streets but can also be observed in bars and restaurants and private contacts are accessible.