West African in Kampala

by Derrick Gyamfi

Stepping out of the airport in the beautiful city of Kampala brought nostalgic feelings. Kampala is a bustling city with new skyscrapers springing out in the city center. Like many other cities across the African continent, major road construction projects aimed at reducing traffic congestion, boosting productivity and economic growth can be seen throughout Kampala. Ugandans growing appetite for shopping has seen the construction of shopping malls. The obsession with the American fast-food chain, KFC, was quite fascinating, but not surprising. In most African countries, including Ghana, where I come from, the main consumers of KFC are the middle class.  

I was particularly impressed with the works of the Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL). Uganda has the youngest population in the world. With limited employment opportunities and a very high unemployment rate, most young adults end up engaging in social vices. UYDEL does well in providing economic empowerment to young people living in the slums and streets to become self-reliant. I have taken it upon myself to solicit funds, and also look for organizations that could partner with UYDEL to keep young people off the streets and slums.   

What also caught my attention was the presence of police and military personnel wielding AK 47 assault rifles throughout Kampala. My initial thought was that the city might be very safe with such an imposing police and military presence. But come to think of it, this could also be seen as cramping down on political dissidents. Notwithstanding, more police and military personnel on the streets could lead to a reduction in crime. Most Ugandans I interacted with were of the view that the presence of the police and military are used as a ploy to instill fear into the people.  

Alcohol consumption is a major problem in Uganda. With a growing young population, Uganda has seen vigorous advertising of alcoholic drinks. This is evident in the number the number of billboards advertising alcohol that line the streets of Kampala. There is no regulation concerning the sale and consumption of alcohol. This has created a loophole for companies and individuals to exploit the system. Uganda now leads Africa in alcohol consumption.  

As a matter of urgency, the Ugandan government should tackle alcohol consumption, especially among the youth, the same way it did with HIV/AIDS.