By
Moses Talemwa
WEEKLY OBSERVER
Julius Mugisha has been a trader in Kikuubo for 15 years,
but is now not sure how much longer he will stay business
here.
Mugisha, who deals in groceries, says that he has been
buying goods from Kenya, China, Hongo Kong and Dubai in
bulk at wholesale prices, a move that made it possible for
him to sell at comparatively cheaper prices than the competition.
“ Now the Supermarkets are buying from the same sources
that we had, which has put us on the same level, but their
advantage is that the Supermarkets are clean and spacious,
which is attractive to customers,” he said.
Recent changes in the business climate appear to be working
against Kikuubo, Kampala’s traditional business hub.
Emerging supermarkets and hawkers are providing effective
competition to the small shops that have been Kikuubo’s
mainstay by taking goods nearer the consumers.
The change follows continuing efforts by supermarkets to
attract not just the up market shopper, but even the often
thrifty low budget customers. Moreover, supermarkets are
able to provide a one-stop shopping centre; offering variety
under glitzier conditions than the small shops sandwiched
in mud and traffic jam in down town.
According to Mugisha, in the past he made net profit of
Shs 100,000 per day, but now we only made Shs 30,000 or
less when it rains in Kampala.
Said Mugisha: “Which customer can pass by a nice supermarket
and come to buy from this mess?”
Kikuubo gained prominence following the collapse of Uganda’s
manufacturing industry in the 1970 as the place to go for
cheap essential commodities for both traders and consumers.
Everything from smuggled sugar and soap to soda was to
be found here and with time, Kikuubo became the centre of
wholesale trade in Uganda.
By 1990 Kikuubo traders who initially imported goods only
from Kenya, had extended their trade to Dubai, Taiwan and
Hong Kong, before the Chinese goods entered town in 2004.
But since then recent developments in Kikuubo have meant
that things are taking a turn for the worse. And traders
are upset at the pace at which Dott Services, the company
contracted to repair lane, is executing the job.
They claim that construction workers are often off duty,
slowing down the pace of the work after they dug up a trench
to take care of the drainage, but the place muddy.
Mugisha’s concerns mirror those of his business neighbours
like John Mukiibi.
According to Mukiibi, Kikuubo had lost most of its customers
to supermarkets, due to the mud.
“No customer is willing to come and buy from us, with
all this mud here. People just take one look and go away.
As a result our businesses are collapsing,” he said.
Resty Namyalo, who deals in underwear, socks and handkerchiefs,
has had to move her business into the middle of the lane
so that her customers not have to walk far.
“We are wondering when the construction work will
come to an end, as our profits have gone down,” she
said.
According to her, profits had fallen to about Shs 30,000
per day from the previous Shs 80,000.
Maggie Mbowa, who deals in polythene paper bags, says she
is not sure if she will be able to restock once her current
stock is sold.
“I used to sell a carton of paper bags daily, but
now if I don’t know if I will be able to afford to
buy the next batch of bags”.
Officials at Dott Services, who were contracted to repair
the road at Shs 80million declined to comment.
Changing face
Kampala City Council finally agreed to repair the lane
and Kikuubo traders, under their association—the Kampala
City Traders Association (KACITA) raised Shs 47million of
their own money for the purpose in 2003.
KACITA spokesman, Issa Sekitto says work on the lane should
be completed by December and after this no vehicles will
use it during the day.
He says heavy trucks will be strictly permitted to pass
through only at night to offload goods.
“These trucks will access it from Namirembe Road and
exit from Kyaggwe Road. During the day only pedestrians
will be able to use it, to access the shops, and buy their
goods,” he said.
He hopes that by December, even the numerous shopping arcades
now under construction will be complete to provide a more
organised and attractive shopping environment to customers.
Kikuubo is struggling to shade off the image of a small
road with tiny and ugly shacks for shops by replacing them
with airy shopping arcades.
Over the last two years, Kikuubo developers have been in
transition, building glitzy malls to replace the small shops
in a bid to entice a customer who is looking for a decent
shopping experience.
However, the times may be changing too fast for Kikuubo,
as the changes there have not stopped customers from walking
away into the grand supermarkets.
The arrival on the scene of the grand supermarkets like
Metro in 2003 followed by Shoprite, Uchumi and Game meant
that customers could access the same groceries they were
getting from Kikuubo at more or less the same prices. And
since the supermarkets were buying from the same suppliers
as the Kikuubo traders, it was not surprising that customers
have retreated to supermarkets.
In order to fight for their business survival, Kikuubo
landlords have started building shopping malls that can
accommodate more than 30 shops, where only 5 or six had
stood.
To a casual observer, the new shops are bigger and better,
but in-fact these shops are even smaller but with a more
airy and lighter feel due to the corridors and stairs that
appeal to shoppers.
“Many of our customers have been abandoning our small
dukas and going out to the shopping arcades and supermarkets,
affecting our business negatively,” said Sekitto.
mtalemwa@ugandaobserver.com
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