You all know how I can't wait till this whole CHOGM thing is over.
At an international level this city clean up proccess and the whole whu-ha-hum attention average Ugandans are giving this event is very embarrassing. How a whole country can go all agog for a short meeting is beyond me... it is not very normal and I find it quite embarrassing. I came to work this morning and my "Irish origin" co-worker next to me was telling me of a red-light district in Kampala that has been moved because of the Queen's coming. I held my head and laughed with him. The link he gave me: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7098031.stm
And now this... these floods. This is what happens to kids who don't have their priorities straight. Instead of focusing on real development issues that our country needs, we are all busy dancing arround our "Yes sirs" to these foreigners who are laughing behind our backs at the banana leaves we decorate for them on the roads on their arrival to Uganda....lol... banana leaves!!! This expenditure on sugar coating a mess is a waste. It should be on schools etc... or real, well-planned(without rush) improvements in infrastructure... and not simply gettting money from the World Bank to quickly pay the Japanese so that they can pay our local workers 10,000/= a week to sugar coat roads while they take their remaining millions and drop off 1 to a corrupt official on their way back. I can't wait till the CHOGM is over.... let it be gone!!!
Are we ready for CHOGM??? Who cares!!!!!!! Question is, our we ready for the 21st Century? Are we ready to do what is needed to get out of this cycle of poverty?
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http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/9/183/580709
What is the problem?
A glaring problem is the blockage of drainage channels by silt and garbage, making them unable to drain the city’s storm water adequately. Most of the channels that were constructed or rehabilitated under the Nakivuvbo Channel Rehabilitation Project four years ago, are now clogged. The project, which cost $9m (sh15b), was implemented with a World Bank loan. A survey by Saturday Vision early this week found that virtually all the drainage channels were choked by silt, garbage and bushes.
Paul Mafabi, the Assistant Commissioner for Wetlands, says another major cause of flooding is that many people have erected buildings in wetlands that used to act as reservoirs and drainage pathways for storm water.
He also blamed increased construction and paving, which does not allow water to sink underground, yet there are no adequate drainage channels to take away the storm water.
“Nothing has changed in Kampala. There is still filling of wetlands with murram,” he said. “Kampala City Council should implement the drainage master plan, which sets aside areas for flood regulation. Overcoming flooding requires a holistic approach. It is not an issue of only wetlands. Clear guidelines are needed for settlements on hillsides.”
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Our hearts and prayers go out to the hard working people who lost property in these floods.