Uganda Woman Magazine IJssue 5

THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA
UGANDA WOMIssue 5, AOctober N2014
Independence Day Edition
Women and Urbanisation

14
15
16
Improving Living
Spaces for Women
in Urban Areas
Female Future
Programme: Leader in Women
Governance
UGANDA WOMAN October 2014 3
10
18
25
Cover Story: 150-Million Dollars to Revamp
the Municipalities of Uganda
28
17
20
34
CONTENTS
Interview with Jennifer Musisi Semakula
Dokolo
Woman
FEEDS
Kampala
Young Bus
Conductress
Dreams of
Advancing
Studies
Success Came
from Operating
a Pork
Butchery
Managing a
Male Dominated
Trade; The
Story of
Mirembe
Rehabilitation and Reintegration of
Sexually Exploited Children: UYDEL
Experience
Improved
Access to Water
and Sanitation
Enhances Equity

UGANDA WOMAN
Published by;
Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development,
P. O. Box 7136, Kampala, Uganda.
Website: www.mglsd.go.ug
www.facebook.com/mglsd
Editor in Chief: Pius Bigirimana
Managing Editor: Jane Sanyu Mpagi
Deputy Managing Editor (Administrative): Elizabeth Kyasiimire
Deputy Managing Editor (Editorial): Francis Mondo Kyateka
Contributing Editor: Maggie Mabweijano
Editor: Pamela Batenga
Editorial Assistants: Annet Kabarungi, Brian Masimbi, Hadijah
Namuddu, Rachael Mutesi
Sub-Editor: Hilda Twongyeirwe
Administrator: Jane Ekapu
Assistant Administrator: Kenneth Ayebazibwe
Administrative Assistant: Nicholas Kamusiime
Distribution Assistant: Innocent Tushabe
Consulting Editor: Ikebesi Ocole Omoding
Contributors: Firmina Acuba, Rachael Amucu, Jacqueline
Anjo, Kenneth Ayebazibwe, Beatrice Ayikoru, Pamela Batenga,
Josephine Candiru, Jane Ekapu, Annet Kabarungi, Margaret
Kasiko, Elizabeth Kyasiimire, Francis Mondo Kyateka, Maggie
Mabweijano, Bernard Mujuni, Josephine Lubwama Mukasa,
Peace Musimenta, Rogers Mutaawe, Hadijah Namuddu, Ikebesi
Omoding, Angella Rubarema, Hilda Twongyeirwe
Layout and Graphics: Paul Wambi
Printing: Intersoft Business Services
Cover Picture:
Photo montage of women at work; background is the Kampala
skyline
Inside Front: A woman operating a groundnuts grinding
machine
4 UGANDA WOMAN October 2014
43
SAUTI: The Uganda Child Helpline Service
Urban Agriculture: Its Role in Women’s Socio-Economic
Independence 37
CHILDREN DO NOT BELONG TO THE STREET 40
Labour Inspection: A Necessity for Gender
Equality in Workplaces 44
Insecurity Threatens Women’s and Girls’ Freedom in
Urban Areas 45
BEUPA Gives Out-of-School Girls and Women a Second
Chance 46
Overview of the Kampala Capital City Authority Gender
Policy 48
Micro and Small Enterprises Spur
Women to Independence 50
Top Killer Diseases: WHAT YOU NEED TO
KNOW 52
CHILD OF A DELEGATE: Everyday’s Reality
Check 56
Issue 5, October 2014 UGANDA
WOMAN THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA
Independence Day Edition
Women and Urbanisation

UGANDA WOMEN’S ANTHEM
Chorus:
Mothers, Daughters
All Women everywhere
Stand up and embrace
Your role today.
We are the proud mothers of our Nation
The Backbone without which it can never stand
We wake up, wake up
We wake up at the crack of dawn
And feed the nation with our brains
With love and joy we care
For our baby Uganda.
Mothers, Daughters
Your role today.
Step by step with tender care
We nurse her we mould her at home and in school
Leading, leading
Spearheading her identity, production and development
In Government and Profession
Name it woman is there.
Mothers, Daughters
Your role today.
We call on you women of Uganda
Wake up if you’ve not yet embraced your role
Wake up, wake up
Beside our men lets play our role
In solving all our nations needs
In every walk of life
To develop Uganda.
Mothers, Daughters
Your role today.
Photo: Shawn Makumbi

Message from the
Hon. Minister for Gender,
Labour and Social
Development
Fellow Ugandans,
I am delighted to engage with the readers of the Uganda Woman magazine once again.
I welcome you to the 2014 Independence issue whose theme is: “Women and Urbanization”. The
articles in this Issue provide information and flag opportunities as well as challenges of women in the
urban areas of Uganda. It is my prayer that stakeholders, including; political leaders, urban authorities,
planners, architects, investors and residents continuously address these issues within their jurisdictions
and mandates.
In the 28 years of the NRM leadership, we see a steady growth of urban and peri-urban areas: a sign of the
conducive, secure, pleasant environment and the employment opportunities that have emerged from the
economic growth and prosperity in our country.
Uganda is rapidly becoming more urbanised, with the current rate of urbanization standing at 5.7%,
annually. The estimated proportion of the population residing in urban areas is 23% of the total population.
It is, therefore, of strategic importance that the specific needs of the various categories of people working
and residing in our towns, are addressed. The women, children, youth, Persons with Disability (PWDs),
and older persons, deserve a secure, conducive and pleasant place to work and live in.
As we commemorate Uganda’s 52nd Independence Anniversary, we also celebrate the gains we have made
in modernising our country, including improving the urban areas. For this, we appreciate the leadership
of the President of Uganda, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, for the vision and foresight to
transform communities and the NRM Government for providing the infrastructure and services that
attract people to urban areas. A case in point is the Kampala Capital City, whose transformation over the
last four years has improved the image of Uganda and made us Ugandans very proud.
Next year, we shall mark 20 years of Uganda’s implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform
for Action, which is the global agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Millennium
Development Goals are also up for assessment and the goals of sustainable development are being
articulated. These processes provide an opportunity for us to plan for women to participate better in our
country’s development.
These initiatives should inspire us to look towards the future with hope and optimism that the urban
environment in Uganda will be ideal for men, women, boys and girls.
I wish all readers in Uganda and in the Diaspora best wishes and a joyous Independence Day 2014.
Mary Karooro Okurut (MP)

Message from the
Hon. Minister of State
for Gender and Cultural
Affairs
Dear Readers,
My colleagues and I at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development are happy to share with you
Issue 5 of the Uganda Woman magazine.
As a Ministry, we are glad to play our role of making vital information accessible to you through the Uganda
Woman magazine. The presence of the publication on the Ministry Website and on its Facebook page has
indeed increased its readership, not only in Uganda, but also globally, and for this, we are thankful to our
readers.
The theme of this issue, “Women and Urbanisation” was selected in recognition of the fact that urbanization
in Uganda has been growing slowly, but surely, over time. In 1959, urbanisation stood at 4.9% and at 6.6%
in 1969. The Uganda National Household Survey 2012/2013, indicated that there had been an increase in
the proportion of the population living in urban areas from 15% in 2009/10 to 23% in 2012/2013; hence,
our interest in examining the situation of women in urban areas, with a view of informing urban planning.
The stories in Issue 5 are intended to act as a reference point in understanding the intricacies of women’s
struggle to eke a living in urban areas. The stories equally suggest workable proposals on surmounting urban
challenges, as it does make an exposition of opportunities available for women in urban areas.
This Issue, therefore, is a call to action by the various players to contribute towards making the life of girls
and women better. It is my conviction that the various articles in this magazine will enrich our present and
future dialogue towards shaping urbanization in Uganda.
Finally, I wish to thank the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and UN Women, with
whom the Ministry works to produce this magazine, for their commitment and support. In the same vein, I
would like to thank the contributors and the editorial team for a job well done.
I wish all of you and especially the women and girls a joyous Independence celebration.
Rukia Nakadama Isanga (MP)

EDITORIAL
Issue 5 of the Uganda Woman magazine is here with us.
The magazine is a bi-annual publication of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. It is
produced to commemorate the Women’s Day and Independence Day.
In this issue, we chose the theme of “Women and Urbanisation” because urbanisation is growing at an
unprecedented rate, and thousands of people are becoming urban dwellers. This phenomenon presents
opportunities and challenges for people, including women.
This issue, therefore, examines the lives of women in the urban settings of Uganda. The articles present
the prospects and challenges of urbanisation, and showcase women venturing into male-dominated trades
in urban areas.
It is clear from the analysis of the various stories that, in order to manage the pressures of urbanisation, there
is an urgent need to build and strengthen women’s resilience. Building this requires responsive institutions
that are capable of planning for all people including women. In addition, policies and resources are needed
for providing decent jobs, quality healthcare and education opportunities, especially for women and girls.
Urban planners must recognize and take action to reduce inequalities and empower vulnerable groups to
seize the opportunities that the urban environment offers for development. This will create urban centres
that enhance social cohesion while at the same time preventing shocks.
The stories in this issue, should deepen your understanding and appreciation of the survival of women in
urban areas and give encouragement for designing interventions that will address the inadequacies that
might appear in service provision.
Together, let us make a difference in the lives of women and girls in Uganda.
Pius Bigirimana
PERMANENT SECRETARY/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

International Women’s Day Edition
UGANDA WOMIssue 4A, March N2014
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MEN AND BOYS FOR
EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN UGANDA
KUMI GENDER
PROFILE
RUHINDI, DEPUTY ATTORNEY
UGANDA WOMAN March 2014 1
THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA
MALE ACTION GROUPS AGAINST
GENDER-BAED VIOLANCE
PROFILE OF HON. JANET MUSEVENI,
MINISTER FOR KARAMOJA AFFAIRS
INTERVIEW WITH HON.
What the
Readers
Say
By Kenneth Ayebazibwe
The Uganda Woman magazine is a bi-annual publication
of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social
Development. The publication is a 60-page glossy
format premium publication, featuring various issues
affecting women. So far, five issues have been produced.
The theme for Issue 5 is, “Women and Urbanisation”.
The magazine is an independent publication that is
reader-focused and managed by a highly-skilled editorial
team, with extensive experience in magazine and
newspaper publishing.
Five thousand copies of the magazine are printed per issue
and distributed to various stakeholders in the country. In
addition, it is uploaded on the Ministry website and on
its Facebook page. The digitally-delivered edition has
extended readership to those who live outside the print
distribution area, making the magazine global.
Issue 4 of the magazine attracted an on-line global public
access of 1,787 people with a 1.2% attraction of the age
group 25-35 in Uganda. It generated viral comments on
Facebook and was shared with 5,000 stake-holders on
e-mail.
To download the different issues of Uganda Woman,
please visit the Gender E Resource Centre on erc.mglsd.
go.ug.
Sampled Comments
Ssemujju Abdalahtif Greetings
2 all friends and MGLSD
members, we as, “BYEN”,
are ready 2 join u in whatever
activity regarding the Uganda
Woman magazine.
National Training - National
Children at Risk Training
‘Women belong in families not
family wars. Congratulations
on a great initiative!
CEDOVIP
Emotional abuse is
equally as dangerous
as the other forms
of abuse, with dire
consequences on the
survivor, and should not
be downplayed! Uganda
Woman Magazine, a good
initiative to address GBV.
#WomenInPoliticsUg
the magazine should take
advantage of development in
Social media-
Ms. Margaret Masagazi
Women of Uganda Network
Mobile and internet technology
can help African women become
more financially independent.
Thanks, Ministry for an ON-LINE
VERSON OF THE MAGAZINE.
Kenneth Ayebazibwe is the E-Resource Centre
Manager-Information Technology in the Ministry of
The Uganda Woman Magazine can be accessed online at: Gender, Labour and Social Development
www. facebook.com/mglsd

Cover Story
150-Million Dollars
to Revamp the
Municipalities of
By Ikebesi Omoding
Honourable Rosemary Najjemba is the
Minister of State for Urban Development
in the Ministry for Lands, Housing and
Urban Development. She is the Member
of Parliament for Gomba County and the
Chairperson of the National Resistance
Movement (NRM), Gomba District.
She revealed that her Ministry is
implementing a 150-million dollar World
Bank project, to improve infrastructure in
14 out of the 22 municipalities of Uganda.
“Our emphasis is to improve up-country
infrastructure so that the municipalities are
clean.”
The implementation of the project has
started and activities are underway to
pave roads in the municipalities and town
councils, so that people and vehicles can
move smoothly. “We want smooth urban
centers, in the sense that they will have the
basic services such as; lighting, vegetation,
proper waste disposal facilities and
drainage systems,” she says.
The Ministry is encouraging the
municipalities and town councils to
implement the Physical Planning Act,
2010. This Act declares the urban centers
and the whole country a planning area. She
suggests that the whole country should be
re-planned and re-designed. This requires
that all municipalities and town councils
have planning committees at sub-county
levels to ensure that all development is
according to plans. ‘’Where there is a
market, for instance, they should ensure
that they conform to the plan. Where the
plan indicates shops or agricultural spaces,
Uganda
Hon Rosemary
Najjemba, Minister
of State for Urban
Development
Photo: Julius Opolot

Cover Story
the space should be used accordingly.”
The Minister noted that there are problems with developers who
do whatever they want. Some people build in the road reserves
and when, the properties are demolished, it becomes problematic
and politicised. The culprits seek protection from their Members
of Parliament and other political leaders, yet they know that they
did not follow the plan when they were building. She reveals
that sometimes it is not the problem of the people but rather of
leaders and technical people who do not guide them. Trying to
make things right, is costing the Ministry a lot of money in terms
of compensations, and that is a big challenge.
The Minister also highlighted the challenge of rural-to-urban
migration that has created a big housing deficit. That is why
slums are mushrooming. “The women are all over in these slums,
because they have nowhere to stay,” she says.
These slums have many challenges, and the women are the more
vulnerable. Diseases such as malaria, HIV and AIDS, diarrhoea
are prevalent. This condition is made worse by the high cost of
living. It makes the woman’s condition worse and some of them
end in prostitution while others become domestic servants.
These occupations have their own disadvantages. Some women
are sexually-harassed, others are denied wages, since they do
not sign contracts and some of them are even killed. Domestic
violence is at its worst in these congested areas. The Minister
is optimistic that these challenges can be addressed. “We went
to Mumbai, India, sometime early this year and saw their slum
development project and realized that actually we can get out
of these slums. The biggest challenge is our land tenure system
which entrusts land to people instead of Government. But it is
possible to build flats and live in them,” she notes.
The other challenges are; lack of safe water, women do odd-jobs
as they cannot go for big business because they do not have
capital. Moreover, they cannot go to borrow from the banks since
they do not have collateral. In most cases land is requested as
collateral to get bank loans for business, and these women do not
have access to land, either in the urban centers, or in the villages,
where the men are traditionally dominant.
For the women, sometimes, even securing food is a problem.
In the villages, one can have cassava and other crops that are
drought-resistant. One cannot fail to have something to eat. In
Kampala, some people go without a decent meal. It is usually the
women and their children who suffer. Sometimes, the women
have to feed their husbands too.
Food is very expensive in the urban areas. With their odd jobs,
they live from hand to mouth. They cannot have any meaningful
development because they are buying food, water and all the
basic requirements of life.
“But there are also successes. When they get some small jobs,
they are able to pay school fees for their children, buy them
clothes and feed them better, reducing malnutrition. When they
are able to work, they can sort out a few domestic problems.
Also, they are able to access medical facilities and get good
schools for their children. That is why they continue to live in
the urban areas.” the Minister says.
URBANISATION
AT A GLANCE
Number of Cities 1
Number of Municipalities 22
Number of Town Councils 168
Municipalities
1. Arua Municipality
2. Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality
3. Busia Municipality
4. Gulu Municipality
5. Hoima Municipality
6. Iganga Municipality
7. Jinja Municipality
8. Kabale Municipality
9. Fort Portal Municipality
10. Kasese Municipality
11. Lira Municipality
12. Masaka Municipality
13. Masindi Municipality
14. Mbale Municipality
15. Mbarara Municipality
16. Moroto Municipality
17. Mukono Municipality
18. Ntungamo Municipality
19. Rukungiri Municipality
20. Soroti Municipality
21. Tororo Municipality
22. Entebbe Municipality
Future Outlook
Regional Cities
Gulu Mbale Mbarara Arua
Strategic cities
Hoima Oil
Nakasongola Industrial
Fort Portal Tourism
Moroto Mining
Jinja Industrial

Cover Story
We want smooth
urban centers, in
the sense that they
will have the basic
services such as;
lighting, vegetation,
proper waste
disposal facilities
and drainage
have multiple roles as mothers and wives,
and we want to see our children healthy
and happy. So, we put all our energies to
improve the well-being of our people. You
know, you have to balance all these roles. It
is difficult. The constituents, your siblings,
your family all have issues and you are
the one who is supposed to ensure that
you handle all those issues and ensure that
everybody is happy. It is a big challenge. I
went through but it was very hard.
The Minister who comes from a large
extended family of more than 30 siblings
says she thanks God that she has been very
fortunate and has been able to educate
some of her siblings up to university. In her
family, she is the one who has been able to
become a minister. She reveals that even
among her peers, she was the luckiest.
“When I look around, the girls in the
village who I went to school with already
look old,” she says.
After attaining a Master’s degree in Public
Administration in Makerere University,
she worked in the Office of the President
as a research officer and in the Women’s
Department. In 2005, she resigned and
joined the campaign trail. She won.
Hon. Najjemba, who hails from Gomba,
says that as a leader she has been able
to bring about some changes in her
constituency. She reveals that Gomba is
a remote district but she has been able to
improve the lives of women through the
Nigiina groups she has created.
In these self-help groups she has been
able to mobilize women to look after their
families. She has also influenced girls to
go to and stay in school. She narrated that
the drop-out rates have fallen. As a result of
the girls’ education, the fertility rates have
fallen, too. She says that when they got
the district status, they lacked the required
skills because the people were largely
uneducated. She believes that the education
of the girls will reverse the situation.
She has encouraged the young people in
the district to study and come back to work
in the area and uplift the standard of the
district. “As an MP and now a Minister,
I have inspired many girls. I tell them
that if one works hard, they get anything
they want. One does not have to be a
politician like me, but you can be in any
other profession, you can be a doctor or a
teacher, or something else. To me, that is
success, and I have inspired other women
to join leadership positions.”
Hon. Najjemba chose to compete with
men for the constituency seat despite
the affirmative action that the NRM
Government provided for women to go to
Parliament. “When I presented myself for
the campaign, I thought it would not be
an issue. I am a very confident person, but
when I presented myself, being a woman
became an issue. Some asked, ’How can
we give our county to a woman when we
have men?’ Even some women joined in
and said, ‘If it was a man we would give
him our vote’.
“But people realized that when women
are in leadership positions, they address
the issues that affect them. I championed
issues such as SACCOS [Savings and
Credit Cooperative Societies], education
for our children, household incomes;
and issues that affect the majority of our
population. If women have the right teams,
they can move mountains.
“With women it is difficult, because we
systems

Cover Story
Earlier on after her first degree in Political Science,
President Yoweri Museveni, selected and sent her to
Gomba to help and educate the women on nutrition and
health issues. Then, she worked in the Ministry of Health
as a health educationist. “I have been an advocate for
reproductive health, family planning and I was identified
by the Population Secretariat and UNFPA as a Champion
on population development. I have been a chairperson of
Family Planning and Reproductive Health.
“I have also been the chairperson of the National
Women’s Council. It was put in place to mobilize women
for economic and social development. In 2006, I joined
Parliament as the MP for Gomba under the NRM. I
was selected as the Chairperson of the Information
and Communication Technology (ICT) Parliamentary
Committee. I was also on the committee that drafted the
law that established the Equal Opportunities Commission
under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social
Development.
“I have chaired the committee on the HIV and AIDS-related
matters. Then in October 2012, I was appointed
Minister of State. Politically, I am the Chairperson of the
NRM, Gomba District.”
Ikebesi Omoding is the Consulting Editor of
the Uganda Woman magazine

Profiles
Dokolo Woman
FEEDS Kampala
By Ikebesi Omoding
In 1994, Hellen Adong, came to Bwaise
in Kampala. She came along with her
two brothers who were due to start work
for Spencon at the Mulago Doctor’s
village. She comes from Kachung village
in Dokolo District and is married to Deus
Kirabira who is a plumber. Despite her
humble beginnings, she has contributed to
the face of Kampala today.
Her catering business started with 400/=
which was given to her by her brothers.
Her task then, was to make them a posho-and-
beans meal, while they worked at the
site. After serving the initial seven people,
the quality of her cooking caught on among
the workers and Spencon contracted her to
provide food for them.
At first, she served only beans and posho,
but later she ventured into preparing fish
stew. In the market, fresh fish was very
cheap because people shunned it. This
was at the time of the Rwanda genocide
when bodies of the victims floated on
Lake Victoria. Eventually, the fish stew
became the workers’ favourite. Spencon
paid her every Saturday for feeding 20 of
its workers, and for a sum of 300/= per
plate, Adong says she was making a lot
of money. “I was cooking nice posho and
beans; and the other workers, too, started
preferring my meals,” she says.
For her good work, the Spencon Company
requested her to provide meals to the
workers at the the Nurses’ Hostel site.
Consequently, she was expected to
provide both lunch and supper for up to
80 people. She employed her sister and
another girl to help out. At some moment,
she had a challenge with shortages, but
this was overcome when meal cards were
introduced.
When the construction was completed in
1995, Adong had enough money to buy
her mother a bicycle worth 60,000/=. In
the village, people told the mother, ‘If
that daughter of yours was a man’; ‘you
would even be better off.’ So, she named
her bike, Jo Yem Nyera (People Used to
Laugh at Me),”says Adong. She says that
her husband kept her money and used some
of it to buy land in Masaka.
When she set up her catering business
in Kisenyi, Adong was able to provide
meals to workers at various construction
sites including; the renovation of Bank of
Baroda, the construction of the Workers’
House, the renovation of the Uganda
Commercial Bank (UCB) building (Cham
Towers), the Kamukamu Plaza, along
Entebbe Road and the AYA hotel building
in Nakasero.
Photo: Ikebesi Omoding
The need to come nearer to the customer
led her to Metropolitan House. Here, she
was able to serve food to construction and
other customers better. She is grateful to the
manager of the Metropolitan House who
allowed her to serve food in the parking lot.
In 1999, Muhammad, a Canadian Asian,
who is in charge of the property gave her an
L-shaped table at the basement it could seat
ten people. She still serves her customers
on this table, today. Her menu includes;
beans, fresh and dry meat in groundnuts
sauce, chicken, fish, goat offal’s, gobe and
malakwang greens. These are served with:
posho, rice, potatoes (sweet and Irish),
yam, cassava and kalo.
“It has been very good because I have
managed to pay my children’s fees.” Her
eldest child, a daughter, has graduated with
a Law degree from Kampala International
University (KIU); an older son has, too,
graduated with a diploma in Law; and she
has children in Senior 6, 5, 2 and Primary 7.
With her at the “food place”, is the Senior
5 boy, Simon Sempa, who helps to wash
the plates. She has also mentored girls to
establish their own “food places”.
Today her catering business has expanded
to include, take-aways and outside catering
for weddings and parties.

Young Bus Conductress
Dreams of Advancing Studies
By Staff Writer
Nobody asked, told or influenced Shifah
Muhamad to become a bus conductor. After
finishing “A” Level, at Bassajjabalaba
Secondary School in Ishaka in 2012,
Muhamad, who hails from Kakoba in
Mbarara District, wanted to try her hand
at a job that would give her “experience
working with people.” What other job,
other than being a conductor (ress),
working in Global Bus Company. She
says: “It is interesting to work with people
and offer services to the public; the more
you interact the more you enjoy being with
people.”
Yet at 24, and single, this job is a mere
stop-gap for her because she has a
determination of continuing with her
studies. “I have a dream of advancing my
studies up to Master’s level,” Muhamad
says, adding that she wants a career in
Public Administration.
She is one of the five female conductors
working in the bus company that has 31
buses. Global Bus Company is a Mbarara-based
company, owned by businessman,
Leo Beyagira. It is one of the bus
companies that transits out of the Kisenyi
Bus terminal; buses that ply the western
route.
Muhamad’s typical working day starts
before 6:00 o’clock in the morning. She
sets off from Kampala or Mbarara. Her
assignment includes; loading passengers
and baggage. Occasionally, she has to deal
with stubborn male passengers who are
abusive because she cannot give them a
fare discount, even when she has explained
to them the payment policy and structures
of the bus fare. She notes that, such
passengers are rude to her, because she is
a woman and slight in stature.
Profiles
With her earnings, Muhamad can afford to
pay fees for a child of her cousin, who is
in Primary school in Mbarara. She is the
second of the five siblings in her family,
but she has no pressure from her parents
to pay fees for her younger siblings.
Muhamad says that her parents are up to
that responsibility.
The buses’ busiest schedules are when
the children are going to school and for
holidays. Global Bus puts up the fare
to 20,000/- for each passenger from the
usual 15,000/=; despite this, there are still
many passengers willing to travel in the 65
passenger-capacity carriers.
Arrival is usually after 11:00 o’clock in
the morning; and then she takes the rest of
the day off. These days, Muhamad stays in
Kireka, a Kampala suburb, with her aunt,
who is a business woman in Kikuubo. She
can afford to rent a house and stay alone,
but she prefers to live with her aunt.
Muhamad earns a salary of 300,000/= per
month. She gets an allowance of 20,000/=
per day she works, which, if she prefers,
can be given to her at the end of the month.
Conductors are assigned to a particular bus,
but if one has personal problems, they can
swap duties with another conductor, who
has time off. This is particularly relevant
for her colleagues who are married, and
need time off to attend to their families.
Shifah Muhamad

Profiles
By Jane Ekapu
Ask anybody familiar with the dusty six-kilometer
stretch of murrum road, off
Entebbe Road to Kasenge Township,
south west of Kampala City, about Betty
Nassimbwa; and they are likely to tell you
that she is the woman who sells pork at
Wekaye-Katale. Wekaye is mid-way to
Kasenge in Sseguku, Wakiso District, but
its activities are more attuned to one of the
Kampala suburbs.
Two landmarks make Wekaye noticeable:
KKB pork joint and the boda boda motor
cycle stage. One of those who own a
boda boda operating from that stage
is Nassimbwa. She bought if from the
proceeds of her pork business from the
KKB joint.
The pork business has served Nassimbwa,
35, and her family well. For the last four
years, she has been in the pork business;
and does not regret it. After trying her
hand at all kinds of things, such as; selling
groceries in the nearby market; and,
hawking second-hand clothes in Kampala
and Wakiso areas, she finally settled for
slaughtering pigs for pork chops.
“A number of people get surprised when
they actually see me chopping the pork and
weighing it for their orders,” Nassimbwa
says with a chuckle. “It is also out of
curiosity that some people come to my
KKB pork stall to buy or eat pork; but it is
profitable for me,” she adds.
Early this year she opened another stall for
selling and roasting pork; and she has left
that in the care of her husband and his sister
(her sister-in-law), both of whom have
been very supportive in the progression
of her business. She partly attributes her
success to them and her public relations.
Nassimbwa reveals that she slaughters and
sells at least one animal per day, and two
on Saturdays. She sells pork to individual
customers and also to other pork sellers in
the same business she is in. At her KKB
kiosk, she roasts or fries the pork chops for
the customers who prefer to eat it there. A
kilo of pork is 8,000/=, and a skewer of
roasted pork goes for 3,000/=.
It is also out of
curiosity that
some people
come to my KKB
pork stall to buy
or eat pork; but
it is profitable
for me
Nassimbwa has used the proceeds from her
pork business well. The family bought a
plot and they have built a house in which
they live, today. She also bought a motor
cycle for the boda boda business operating
out of Wekaye. She has plans to buy a piece
of land to build rentals.
Jane Ekapu is a Principal Gender
Officer in the Ministry of Gender,
Labour and Social Development
Success Came from
Operating a Pork
Butchery
Photo: Paul Wambi

Profiles
Managing
a Male
Dominated
Trade: The
Story of
Mirembe
By Staff Writer
“I have a man’s gentle touch in a woman’s
body,” says Annette Mirembe. “I am not
the kind of girl to squash; very many
women are capable of doing better things
than men,” she adds, about being in the
metal fabrication business, often regarded
as a man’s domain.
Mirembe, 30, registered her initial
fascination in metal work, when her
mother, a teacher, went with her to Katwe
as she sought to have metal fittings done
for their family house.
Originally, she tinkered at becoming an
artist from the Margaret Trowel School of
Art in Makerere University but eventually,
she graduated with a Makerere University
degree in Librarianship and Publishing
in 2006. Her first job was with the Anti-
Corruption Coalition of Uganda (ACCU),
where she founded the ACCU Resource
Center. After a stint there, she became
jobless.
When she was starting out, her mother
gave her a mattress and the father, also
a teacher, gave her 700,000/=. She paid
500,000/=, to have a bed made for her.
With the balance, she bought a set of
metallic chairs. She observed that the man
who made the furniture duped her, saying
he was a metal worker, when actually he
was a glass cutter. That riled her, but her
fascination with metalwork took hold.
When friends visited her, they liked her
furniture; and asked to buy it; she sold
the lot for 1,800,000/=, and went back to
Katwe to make herself a new set of chairs
and a bed. “That’s how I started,” says
Mirembe.
In 2010, she got her first major contract to
fabricate fittings for three apartments for
Zerida, a woman working in the Ministry
of Finance, Planning and Economic
Development. “One thing I loved about
Zerida is that she was looking for a metal
fabricator who would give her houses ‘a
woman’s touch’,” explains Mirembe. “All
the engineers who worked in her houses
were women. It’s the third eye in a woman;
how we pay attention to the little details.”
For that effort, Mirembe was paid seven
million shillings. The biggest deal she
got was in 2013 with the MMNB Hotel in
Kabusu. She was paid 26m/= shillings.
That set Mirembe in the metal fabrication
career for which her only claim is an
inordinate talent. She works on doors,
windows, balconies, ramps, garden
decorations, containers, box-bodies; name
it. “Many people come up with various
ideas they want for the many things they
want made for them. I take measurements,
and then work on the items,” she says.
Life is not all rosy for her. There are
seasons when she can go for up-to
three months without a contractual job,
especially around December, and when
children are going back to school. Also,
there is a scare that most of the land in
Katwe is being snapped up by speculators
who are squeezing off the relatively small-time
businesses like hers. Then, there are
those clients who refuse to pay up after a
job has been done.
She hopes that someday she will be
sponsored to obtain formal training in
metal engineering. That would knock off
people who do not give her credit because
of her work in the Katwe metal fabrication
industry, which is largely sustained by
people who are more talented than trained.
Mirembe, a wife and mother of a two-year
old son, spends most of her time at
construction sites fabricating some artistic
or engineering designs for her clients.
She works
on doors,
windows,
balconies,
ramps, garden
decorations,
containers,
box-bodies...

Accomodation
towels and pampers. Whereas such waste
materials can be burnt on rubbish heaps in
rural areas, there are usually no incinerators
for this purpose in urban areas.”
In addition, with the increasing demand
for housing units, most developers are
constructing apartments. Due to the limited
space, few have provision for open spaces
for children’s playground, recreation and
leisure.
As Uganda looks to the future, there is a
commitment in Uganda’s Vision 2040
to control urban sprawling through;
legislation, integrated physical planning,
strict development control and the
increasing density of settlements by
construction of high-rise buildings.
In this context the recommendations to
Improving Living
Spaces for Women
in Urban Areas
By Maggie Kyomukama Mabweijano
and Josphine Candiru
Fifteen percent of the population in Uganda
live in urban areas with Kampala Capital
City accounting for 40% of all urban
dwellers. Due to inadequacies in planning,
basic infrastructure and services in urban
areas, housing is a major concern.
Within the context of a patriarchal
society, the roles of men and women are
still aligned to the traditional gender
roles where women are predominately
responsible for household chores, cooking,
child care, cleaning, care for older persons,
People with Disabilities (PWDs), and
the sick. In undertaking these roles and
activities, women require suitable space
and facilities.
A considerable number of families living
in urban communities live in one or two-roomed
houses commonly referred to as
mizigo. These dwellings lack provision
of kitchen space, washrooms, latrines and
toilets.
Most kitchens and cooking areas are
built without chimneys. This complicates
cooking because when unimproved cooking
stoves are used, the long-term effect on
women, is respiratory and eye diseases.
Estimates set the number of households
using improved stoves at around 9%, while
over 72% of the population still uses the
three-stone fire for cooking.
Within urban areas, the use of improved
stoves is estimated to be around 20% yet
the urban population using solid fuel is
95.2%. Only 5% of Uganda’s population
use improved biomass cooking stoves.
Furthermore, the lack of basic services in
urban areas, affects women more than men
because of their domestic responsibilities.
Consequently, women are often the direct
managers and decision-makers about basic
services at the household level and within
the community. A woman relates her
experience as follows:
“I was woken up to the realities of housing
concerns in the city environment, when a
friend narrated to me a few years ago of
his urgent need to move out of a rented
unit. The landlord was not willing to allow
his family to stay in his rentals anymore
because the family was expanding. He was
concerned that the latrines would soon fill
up; an added cost to the landlord to empty
the latrines or build new structures.
“On further inquiry, I found out that
some housing units in the city and urban
centres are out of bounds for families with
children, basically because of the concern
for disposal of waste, including sanitary
A woman washes
clothes on the
verandah of her
house
Photos: IPaul Wambi

make housing more gender responsive
include the following:
• The Ministry of Lands, Housing and
Urban Development is consulting on
the Draft National Housing Policy and
the draft National Urban Policy. There is
need to review these important policies
to ensure that the gender concerns are
incorporated;
• There is need for a policy on clean
cooking to make women’ and girls’
cooking easier and safer. Clean cooking
solutions are those technologies, fuels,
equipment and practices that address
the health and environmental impact
associated with traditional cooking
stoves. Many technologies exist that can
do this but not everyone can purchase
them.
A clean cooking solution must meet
the needs of the users and be culturally
appropriate, otherwise it will fail to be
utilized over the long term. This includes
making sure that the technology is
affordable, socially acceptable, easy to use,
widely available, durable and desired.
A clean cooking stove is desirable if it does
not alter the taste of food. It should offer
benefits such as the ability to regulate the
stove-top temperature easily, cooks food
quickly, or reduces the cost of, or time
spent collecting fuel.
• The architects should plan houses that
have kitchens with chimneys. This will
promote clean cooking and good health
for women, girls and children.
• All the stakeholders should promote
women’s ownership of land. This will
enable women to build their own houses
with more suitable facilities.
• Programmes in urban areas that promote
women’s empowerment and economic
independence should be enhanced. This
will reduce poverty among the women.
Maggie Kyomukama is the
Assistant Commissioner for
Gender and Women Affairs
and the Contributing Editor of
the Uganda Woman Magazine.
Josephine Candiru is Senior
Women in Development Officer,
in the Ministry of Gender,
Labour and Social Development
A woman besides
her clean cooking
stove
Some of the
sanitary facilities
in urban areas
A children’s slide;
Most urban spaces
lack play grounds

Interview
Interview with Jennifer
Musisi, the Executive Director
of Kampala Capital City Authority
Jennifer Musisi is the
Executive Director of
Kampala Capital City
Authority (KCCA).
In an interview with
Uganda Woman,
she speaks about her
assignment as the
Chief Executive of
Kampala City and the
role of women in this
endeavour.

Interview
QUESTION: Executive Director, would
you please give Uganda Woman a
profile of yourself.
ANSWER: My name is Jennifer
Semakula Musisi, the Executive Director
of Kampala Capital City Authority. Our
mandate is to manage the City of Kampala
on behalf of the Central Government.
I am a lawyer by profession, married
and with children. I have been involved
in public administration and formerly
worked in URA [Uganda Revenue
Authority]. I was part of the small team
that started the transformation of URA to
what it is now. After the transformation
and building the capacity of the URA
team, I decided to take an early retirement
and go into private business. Before I
could retire, the President requested me to
sort out the mess in Kampala. I have been
here for three and half years; and when I
am done, I will hopefully retire before too
long. You don’t need to be old to retire.
I think you retire when you feel ready
to engage in other activities. I wanted to
retire when I still had the energy, drive,
ideas and the opportunities. I don’t want
to go into private enterprise when I am
too old, too sick, or when I am taken up
by work.
I was an in-house lawyer, a corporate
lawyer. In URA I set up the legal firm. In
Makerere where I started work, I did the
same thing. In KCCA [Kampala Capital
City Authority], we have set up the
same thing; so we do all our legal work
in-house. I have never been interested in
practicing as an advocate although I am
an advocate, I have never practiced law
in court.
Q: When you were appointed as
Executive Director, what did you
envision to contribute to the City?
A: First of all, the city was in a total
mess and I think every Ugandan felt
ashamed because of how it looked. The
infrastructure, dirt, darkness, congestion
and the street vendors made it look dirty. I
felt that as a Ugandan, I had a contribution
to make to restore our Capital City. No
matter how much you travel and how
nice the other capital cities might look,
you always come back home. Also, I was
motivated because my children started
telling me that they would leave Uganda
as soon as they finished school to avoid
a disorganised, dirty, chaotic city and I
wanted my children to love their country.
I was tired of apologizing to visitors and
trying to take them through routes that
were not coming directly into the city
because it was in such a mess.
One of my biggest satisfactions is when
people come to Uganda and say that they
are happy with the progress that they are
seeing. Now, they love to come home and
even my children are talking about going
to school abroad but that they will always
want to come back home. These days
when we travel, they want to come back
home, and do not feel depressed about it.
some men. So, that’s a good thing. We
encourage them, not from the perspective
of their being women, but we encourage
them to explore their potential to do stuff.
We appraise performance; we put very
exacting demands on everybody, including
myself. The performance benchmarks are
the same for everybody; and the women
and men are doing very well in their
various areas of administration.
Q: You are a woman leader. How do
you envision success and/or failure?
A: I don’t think of myself as a woman; I
think of myself as Executive Director of
KCCA who happens to be a woman. So,
I do not have a lot of issues that many
women would have, probably because
of my education background with men.
I have always felt that I can do whatever
men do, in fact, I can do better in a lot of
things than men. I think of myself as a
professional, a person that has to deliver a
certain mandate and I am very confident
of my ability to deliver it. I am very
confident in my ability to make decisions
and implement them.
I do not apologize for the fact that I am a
woman; it is OK to be a woman. I enjoy
being a woman; I don’t want to be a
man and I am not competing with men. I
don’t push for things like I should have
a special status because I am a woman.
I push for excellence. It doesn’t matter
whether you are a man or woman, you
must be excellent. If not, we ask you to try
your competences elsewhere. So, being
a woman should not be an excuse for
I don’t push
for things like
I should have
a special status
because I am a
woman. I push
for excellence.
There is still a lot to do, but it is giving
people hope that something is being done.
I may not be able to do 100 percent of
the transformation but the fact that I have
made a contribution motivates me.
Q: Being a woman Executive Director
and in an urban centre, how do
you factor the women into your
administration of the City?
A: When we are looking for staff;
managers, directors, we don’t go
out looking for women. We look for
competence, track record, integrity and
ability to perform. If we find it in a
woman, we hire her. A big percentage of
our management team are women. We
found that they are efficient, as competent
and able to deliver results as men;
and in some cases are even better than

Interview
sloppiness or poor performance.
I think we have challenges as women.
We are mothers, wives, and then we are
workers, but I still think that if we have
the proper attitude, we can surmount those
challenges because they are temporary.
Like, when you are having babies, for
a few years, you may be slowed down
but after that you can rise up again. You
can balance your life, spend time on the
things that really matter; your family, job,
yourself, and then everything else can
follow after that.
I have been through all the things like
other women; having a husband, children,
raising a family, running a home, but I
have been able to manage those different
roles. When I am in the office, I am the
Executive Director; when I am at home I
am a wife and mother. I do everything that
other women do at home; I clean, I cook,
I scrub, work in my compound, I sew, I
like painting. I just like doing stuff other
women do. I try not to let my role as ED
[Executive Director] suffocate my family
responsibilities.
Q: Which means that you don’t go
home with your official security?
A: No. Once I get home; that’s home;
and that’s why my family, my private life
is separate from my office job. I have to
protect my family from the public eye
because they are not part of the job.
Q: But you know you are one of the
most guarded people in Kampala!
A: Which is encouraging, because when
I set out to do this job, I didn’t set out to
win accolades, or to get prizes and awards
and be acclaimed by the public. I set out
to make a difference. So, now that we
are getting the accolades, the awards, the
credit and the appreciation, it’s a good
thing. It is encouraging but after that we
go back to our job. I need to get the job
done. I need to go beyond the extra mile. I
am a very very hard worker, I drive myself
and I also drive other people.
I start my day at about 4:00 a.m. in the
morning. By 5:00 am, I have done a lot
of work. It helps me to have time for my
family because when I wake up and start
working, no one else in the house misses
me because they are fast asleep.
By 6:00 a.m., I am at my desk and then
work for the rest of the day. I don’t have
lunch or coffee breaks and I leave office
when my work is done. Sometimes I leave
at 9:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and
sometimes at 3:00 p.m. when my work is
done. I am driven by the work I need to
do rather than by the hours I have to work.
Sometimes, the hours are excessive but
at other times they are fine. I make sure
that I take leave and encourage my team
to take leave too. When I am on leave, I
am on leave. Recently I was on leave for a
month. I think that developed capacity for
the rest of the team to do things without
me. It also gives me time for my family,
myself and relatives. That is how I balance
it out.
Q: The theme of the 5th Issue of Uganda
Woman is, “Women and Urbanization”.
What is the status of the woman in
Kampala City?
A: In the transformation process, we
disengaged a lot of the contractors that we
found in the city and we hired workers.
We have about 4,000 workers who clean
the streets, de-silt the drainages, plant the
green, the flowers and maintain them.
Over 80% of these are women, who would
otherwise be dependant but can now take
their children to school. We pay them
regularly and they can pay rent and get
medical care because they have jobs now.
We have also got good testimonies. There
was one who was a beggar at Christ the
King for many years; we gave her a job as
a cleaner. Now, she has been able to take
her children back to school.
In addition, we have programmes,
under our CDD - Community Driven
Development programme, where we
give groups selected by the communities
funding to start businesses. We have
funded over 150 groups. We give them
Musisi at the
Kampala City
Festival, 2013.

Interview
money and train them in basic skills of
running a business. We monitor them to
make sure that they are doing well and
we have invited them out to showcase
achievements funded by KCCA.
We give them broiler chicken to start
poultry projects, we also give them
piglets and assist them with artificial
insemination so that they can get high
breed piglets. We do this for men, women
and youth but most of the beneficiaries are
women.
Within our workforce, we also have a
number of professional women, because
of the competences and skills that we
are looking for. They are driving a lot of
initiatives and programmes at KCCA.
Q: What effect do you think you have
on women in general?
A: I have a very positive feedback from
women. Many women have told me that a
lot of what I am doing encourages them to
be bold, strong and firm in their positions
of responsibility. I have also been told by
many young women that I am their role
model, so I have to behave. There is a
saying that women can rule the world, that
they can actually transform, make changes
in institutions and push development. I
want to be able to encourage them to do
more. It is encouraging that as girls are
growing up, they look up to me. It means
that there is something that I am doing that
is worth emulating. That is encouraging.
I encourage women to think of themselves
as professional, competent, no-apologies
people. One of the biggest values we can
push forward is integrity. A professional
woman with integrity and a high-performer
is desired everywhere.
Q: The City has slums. What are you
doing about them?
A: The responsibility of slums is the
Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban
Development. Similarly, people ask me
about street kids and street people when it
is the responsibility of Ministry of Gender,
Labour and Social Development. KCCA
supplements in terms of development
planning, workshops and effort. We
need to work together with these other
agencies. We don’t have a very big budget
for this but I know that the Ministry of
Gender, Labour and Social Development
has started working with the Office of
the First Lady to try relocating these
children. On our part, we are working on
criminalizing the giving of money to these
children on the streets, so that it would
be a disincentive for the street kids. It is a
business and we need to criminalize it in
order to stamp it out.
Q: You have been given a lot of credit
for paving and beautifying the City but
you have also knocked down places and
there is a lot of rancour about it among
people. How has this affected service
delivery?
A: We are implementing the law. There
is a law against building in road reserves,
drainage channels and water ways.
There is a law against building without
approved plans. So, that is what we are
implementing. The challenge is that for
so many years, these laws were put on
the shelves, had gathered dust and never
been implemented. When we came in, we
started implementing them and people
think they are new laws. The sanitation
and cleanliness laws have also always
been there.
We have been informing the public before
the demolitions. We give a 45-day notice
before we demolish, whether they are
illegal or not. Within these days, they
are supposed to relocate their property.
Initially, people thought, ‘they are
threatening us, they won’t come’; but now
people have realized that when we say you
I am driven
by the work
I need to do
rather than
by the hours
I have to
work.
Jennifer Musisi
during the inter-view
with Uganda
Woman’s Ikebesi
Omoding

need to move, we actually move you if
you don’t move. So, we are getting a lot of
compliance.
Last night [2nd October], we were moving
one of the illegal taxi parks in Nakawa.
We notified them for over three years but
they had never moved. We have a project
for a public park in that area. The contract
for the Jinja Road works has run out, so
really, we should have completed because
that was part of the project. So, this
week when we told them to move, they
actually moved. There was no fighting,
they demolished, removed their valuables,
relocated and the taxis have also relocated.
That means compliance is increasing.
The controversies are there but I think that
people need to understand that when there
are laws in the country, someone has to
implement them. The same people, who
complain, compare us to other orderly
and clean cities. We cannot be clean and
orderly without paying the price.
Those cities paid the price. They are
disciplined, orderly and they contribute.
You cannot get progress without paying
a price. Unfortunately, we are trying to
correct things that should not have gone
astray in the first place. We may not be
able to do 100% of demolitions, but we
think that in key places, and where we
can, we are making good progress.
Q: Are you not facing the problem
of indiscipline, like people violating
cleanliness, spitting, throwing rubbish
on the sidewalks?
A: The problem of indiscipline in Uganda
is like that of corruption, it is everywhere.
The people of Kampala are part of the
general society of Uganda, but there are
also disciplined people here. What we
are dealing with is a national problem.
Fortunately, in Kampala, there is an
increased level of compliance.
You don’t see as many people throwing
trash out of their cars, as we used to
because apart from sensitizing them, we
have been punishing, arresting and fining
them. Illegal parking and trading on the
pavements and destroying green places,
have reduced. The effect is that society
is beginning to police itself. People
in taxis tell one another not to throw
garbage on the streets because KCCA
will arrest them; or the taxi conductors
tell passengers that KCCA will impound
their cars, if you throw garbage out of the
windows; which is a good thing.
I was in the USA recently. Somebody
told me that they had been warned that
in Kampala, they would be arrested
if they walked on the grass, or threw
garbage in the wrong places. Now, that is
a good thing. I have been to other towns
in Uganda, and they are disgustingly
filthy, because people trash and dump
anywhere. In the same way we have
managed to sort out Kampala, these other
places can be sorted out. The other towns
and municipalities are beginning to use
Kampala as a benchmark to improve
themselves.
Q: What message do you have for the
Uganda Woman readers?
A: We can do anything, we can transform
the world. We don’t have to be propped by
men, and we don’t have to compete with
men. We can do everything that we need
to do and get the job done. We have the
special skills, the intuition, the gentleness
and the woman’s touch. So, coupled
with the aspects of professionalism and
integrity, women can do anything and take
the highest leadership positions anywhere.
A professional
woman with
integrity and a
high-performer
is desired
everywhere.
President Museveni flanked by Jennifer
Musisi, Frank Tumwebaze; Minister for
Kampala and Mpimbaza Hashaka; RDC
Nakawa Division
Interview

Female Future Programme:
Leader in Women Governance
By Jacqueline Anjo
The Female Future Program (FPP), is
an initiative whose aim is to address the
gender gap in top management and board
positions, by mobilizing female talents to
leadership and board positions. Uganda is
the first country in Africa to implement
the programme that started in 2011.
The programme was nominated by the
International Labour Organisation, as one
of the 10 best practices of gender equality.
The programme runs for nine months with
a total of 15 contact days, spread through
nine months. The rest is field work,
networking meetings, online assignments
and research. The next intake is scheduled
for February 2015.
The programme has three modules
which include; Leadership Development,
Rhetoric and Board Competence. It
is delivered through participatory
techniques that inspire both individuals
and group learning.
Two certificates are awarded. One is
accredited by the Oslo and Arkershus
University College of Applied Sciences
(HIOA), from Norway, while the other
is a certificate of attendance. Application
forms are available at Kololo Hill Drive
Road, Plot 1, Block A, 3rd Floor, or
can be downloaded from (http://www.
fuemployers.org ).
The programme is designed for: female
chief executive officers; top management;
board members; middle managers from
private and public companies; female
banking executives; non-government
organizations; managers; human
resources managers; individuals in
leadership positions and those aspiring
to be leaders. The others are growth-oriented
career ladies in middle-to-top
level management positions.
The programme is delivered by the
Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise
(NHO), Oslo and Arkershus University
College of Applied Sciences (HIOA), the
Rhetoric institute, Arbeidstorknings Fond
and the Institute of Cooperate Governance
Uganda. The Federation of Uganda
Employers are the programme managers.
The participants are trained on how to
exploit their inner potential, how to run
any organisation, self confidence, and are
equipped with oratory and negotiation
skills.
Since 2011, 39 women have graduated.
Of these, ten have been appointed to
board positions while 19 have been
promoted into challenging positions. One
has started an association of diabetes for
children.
Diana Ninsiima - 2nd Intake
Testimonies
“Once upon a time I never thought I could comfortably walk up the
podium and address a congregation without panic. Before the training,
I was an associate in one of the leading law firms in the country but I
lacked the confidence. I would get to work, hide in a corner, do my work,
deliver, and would sit back and allow someone else to be credited and
applauded. When I joined FFP, I was able to take back my life. I am the
driver and I feel that am in control. I have been appointed to different
committees at the Uganda Law Society. I was a master of ceremony at
an event honoring Hon. Maria Matembe, which was a great opportunity,
because I respect and look up to her. I resigned from my job and started
my law firm with two other partners. Now, I know which organization
I want to lead, and it is one that will bring women to the forefront. FFP
enabled me to draw a road of my journey. I know where I want to go.”
Jackie Namara - 4th Intake
“Our journey of becoming even more phenomenon ladies, started on the 19th
Febraury 2013, when a group of eight ladies gathered at a hotel in a Kampala
suburb. With a mixture of speculation and excitement, we embarked on a journey
that has changed our lives. We were guided on reflecting on who we are, and
on what we want out of our lives as women, daughters, sisters, mothers, wives,
friends and teachers. Even in our hectic life it was refreshing to take time to
reflect, define and re-define our true purpose in life. We are happier since we are
true to ourselves, doing the things that we are happy about.
We now face life with confidence, courage, assurance and commitment to seeing
our vision and mission live every day. In the FFP, the force to joint efforts is
to ensure that each woman gets what she needs, whether it is a recollection, an
introduction, a partnership or a landmark deal. For my fellow alumni, FFP was
the fire that forever transformed us from Iron lady to steel magnolia.”
Jacqueline Anjo is Assistant Coordinator, Federation of Uganda
Employers

Making Transport
Services Friendly
for Women
By Elizabeth Kyasiimire
Men and women should have an equal
say in the identification, design and
implementation of transport services. This
should give rise to gender responsive road
infrastructure and transport services.
Further, it should create potential to change
women’s time allocation, improve the
returns on their labour so that they can
contribute better to economic efficiency
and growth. It should also influence
people’s domestic needs and employment
opportunities.
If the transport policy, plans and regulations
are to be responsive to people’s concerns,
it is essential that data is disaggregated by
sex. Women make up more than half of
public transportation in the city and their
needs deserve particular attention.
The most common means of transport
for people in urban areas is public
transportation. However, public transport
and road travel spaces are gendered.
For instance, more women than men are
concerned about personal safety. This
influences their decisions on whether,
when and where to travel and the mode of
transport. In addition, women have limited
access to means of transport, either due to
lack of ownership, or inability to pay.
Traffic congestion, especially during peak
hours, impairs the mobility of motorised
and non-motorised means of transport.
This problem is compounded, and
sometimes, caused by the inadequate road
infrastructure, which may be too small or in
disrepair. Further still, there are motorists
who are not responsive to the needs of
the other road users, particularly those of
pedestrians and the cyclists. This increases
their vulnerability to accidents. Then, some
of the roads lack sidewalks while others are
broken. Related to poor infrastructure, is
the flooding during the wet season which
renders walking almost impossible.
Personal safety on the roads is also a
matter of concern. Women often express
more concern for personal safety, crime
and disorder. The fear of losing valuable
personal items restricts women from
moving within certain parts of the city.
Also, pedestrians are vulnerable to the unlit
spaces in the urban areas.
Boda bodas: A
common mode of
transport in urban
areas
Transport
Photo: Paul Wambi

Transport
activities. This, coupled with unaffordable
transportation costs, constrain their
participation in marketing. Investments
in IMTs have the potential to alleviate
women’s transport burden.
Recognition of non-motorised transport
(NMT), as one of the key transport modes
and integrating it into public transport by
providing safe NMT infrastructure, would
benefit women.
Urban roads in Uganda are often chaotic,
due to obstructed pedestrian infrastructure,
parked vehicles, loading vehicles, taxis and
motorcycles plying for trade. Most of these
issues could be resolved through improved
enforcement of existing regulations.
In Kampala and other towns, there are few
traffic lights designed to allow the safe
crossing of roads by pedestrians. These
should be increased to make road and
transport services more friendly.
Urban foot bridges have been designed to
reduce accidents by providing a safe means
to crossing main roads. They have not been
constructed to universal design standards,
and therefore, most do not have ramps
for use by cyclists or assistive devices
for People with Disabilities (PWDs). The
responsible institutions should take note
and design suitable foot bridges.
Elizabeth Kyasiimire is the
Commissioner for Gender and
Women Affairs in the Ministry
of Gender, Labour and Social
Development
Whereas all categories of people are
pedestrians, most means of transport in
Uganda are owned and operated by men.
Consequently, this undermines route-planning
for women as they seek to access
their homes and work places. Also, due to
their relatively lower incomes, working
women in urban areas pay high transport
costs. Then, most drop-off areas lack
shelter/shade for women with babies.
Although, the number of boda boda
motorcycles in the country has significantly
revolutionised transport, they are still high-cost
transport for women. Also, the design
is not favourable for women, thus making
them vulnerable to accidents.
These motorcycles do not have covers
or carriers for babies. Women carry their
babies and bags on their laps, making
them vulnerable to thieves. Finally, most
boda boda riders are men. As such, women
passengers are vulnerable to gender-based
violence.
Women do not typically have access to
intermediate means of transport (IMTs)
such as bicycles, which are critical for them
to engage in domestic and income earning
Chaotic roads are
problematic for
pedestrians
Some roads in urban
areas are risky for
non-motorised
transport. They
are narrow, with
open drains and no
footways
The fear of
losing valuable
personal items
restricts women
from moving
within certain
parts of the city.

Improved Access to
Water and Sanitation
Enhances Equity
By Jane Ekapu and Firmina Acuba
From time immemorial, women and
children bear the burden of collecting
water, maintaining household sanitation,
and likewise, bear the brunt of poor
sanitation and unavailability of safe water.
Urban dynamics characterised by social,
cultural and economic changes and the
implementation of the Gender Strategy for
the Water and Sanitation sub-sector, have
revolutionalized these gender roles and
encouraged men to play complimentary
roles.
In urban areas, access to safe water and
sanitation coverage has improved. Access
to safe water stands at 70% (57% for
small towns and 77% for large towns),
and sanitation coverage stands at 82%.
Meanwhile, there is still concern regarding
access to hand-washing facilities (32%),
and sewerage service coverage (6.4%).
This improvement is attributed to
the rehabilitation of water schemes,
installation of pumps and efforts to ensure
operation and maintenance of the water
facilities. The improvement could also be
attributed to the increase in the number of
women holding key positions on the water
boards. Today, there are at least 74 out of
152 towns with women in key positions.
The public water kiosks, which have been
established in several towns, have also
increased access to safe water because
of their affordability. Women have been
encouraged to manage these public water
kiosks. A case in point is the water kiosk
that is located in Luuzi Cell in Wobulenzi
Town. “A jerrycan of water costs 100/=.
As a result of the cost, some people have
turned it into business by buying water
and reselling it to those, especially to old
women, who cannot come to the source,”
said Bogere, the attendant.
On average, she sells 600 jerrycans of water
per day, and when it is a dry season, she
sells at least 1000 jerricans. More people
come to this kiosk because it is affordable
and has water all the time. In addition to
buying water for home consumption,
some youth have turned it into a fortune
by collecting the water overflows into an
underground tank, and later, using it to
wash boda boda motorcycles.
The sanitation activities in urban areas
include: construction of public latrines and
demonstration facilities in public and at
household level; training of masons; and,
staging drama during sanitation promotion.
Others are; garbage management and
sanitation baseline surveys.
Sanitation facilities have been constructed
to cater for the urban poor and other
A public water
kiosk into Wwonbulenzi
Below:
A pipeline network
serving Yerya water
supply system

An ecosan
toilet
vulnerable groups within towns. Deliberate
efforts have been undertaken to ensure that
the toilets have access ramps for the people
with wheelchairs. In addition, female users
have been provided with more stances as
compared to male users. The flash, ecosan
and VIP toilets have also been promoted
in the towns. These are located in public
places (market, park) or at institutions.
In addition, ecological latrines are
constructed in areas where off-site
sanitation is not appropriate, provided
these latrines are constructed in institutions
and public places. This measure is aimed
at sustaining and improving the overall
environmental quality of the urban areas,
and at preventing public health problems.
Eighty-eight masons from 21 towns have
been trained in the ecosan toilet-making.
Female-headed households have also
been trained and provided with ecosan
demonstration facilities. This has helped
to improve sanitation and hygiene for the
poor female-headed households, and it is
envisaged that other households within the
community will adopt this technology.
Furthermore, drama groups have been
trained and facilitated to disseminate
messages on water sanitation and hygiene.
cheaper water from public water points
(authorised yard connections, water
kiosks, wells), directly benefits the
poor. The aim is that the poor who
use public water points should not pay
more for water than other better-served
customers.
• Subsidising yard connections serving
as authorised public water points. In
poor areas of small towns, the water
authority may select authorised yard-tap
dealers, and finance the connection
in full, which in return serves as a
“public water point” managed by the
“owner”. The condition is that the
owner, on license, undertakes and
manages on-sale for a period of at
least two years under supervision and
control of the authority.
• Continuously monitoring water quality.
Operational and compliance water
quality monitoring is intensified
by service providers, to ensure the
poor and women, are consuming
safe water. Monitoring enables
protection from activities which
undermine water quality, and allow
early prediction of deteriorating
water quality and implementation
of appropriate corrective actions.
• Enhancing coverage by subsidizing
yard and house connections (after
completion of initial stage of a
system). High connection costs
inhibit the demand for house
connections. Moreover, increased
house connections save women’s
time for more productive economic
activities, hence increasing the
family income.
The Pro-poor Strategy
• Enhancing access by densifying the
network and expanding to unserved
areas. The target is that all people
in a small town have access to a
pipeline within a distance of 200
meters.
• Establishing public water points.
Authorized yard taps or water kiosks
(or possibly - wells fitted with a
hand pump), are established at an
intermediate distance of 400 meters
in all areas of a small town which are
underserved. This is in order to serve
the poor and vulnerable population
who cannot afford individual yard
and/or house connections.
• Continuously updating a Pro-poor
tariff. Often, the poor in
urban areas cannot afford house/
yard connections, and therefore,
Jane Ekapu is a Principal Gender Officer in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and
Firmina Acuba is a Senior Sociologist in the Ministry of Water and Environment

Pictorial
Women Survival
in Urban Areas

Pictorial

Pictorial
Photos: Paul Wambi
and Shawn Makumbi

Rehabilitation and Reintegration
of Sexually Exploited Children:
UYDEL Experience
By Rogers Mutaawe and Rachael
Amucu
In Uganda, trafficking and commercial
sexual exploitation of children (CSEC)
exists. It is prevalent in urban settings, and
appears to be infiltrating schools.
A study undertaken by the Uganda Youth
Development Link (UYDEL) in 2011
estimated that the number of children
affected by CSEC had increased from
12,000 to 18,000 annually with girls being
more at risk than boys. The majority of
the affected are between 14 -17 years. The
report reveals that there is entry, nomadism,
relapse and exit from CSEC.
Most female victims of trafficking end up
in prostitution-prone environment while
boys get involved in hazardous work. There
is not a single factor that can explain the
cause of trafficking but poverty intersects
with other factors like ophanhood, to push
and demand for children who usually end
up in CSEC.
Trafficking in Uganda is more internal,
though elements of transnational
trafficking have also become more
evident. Children are targeted for adoption,
fostering, religious extremism, labour and
prostitution.
Children from poor families are moved
from rural to urban centers and the reverse
is also true. Similarly, a big number of
children are moved from rural to rural
especially in the fishing and agricultural
areas in central Uganda. Most recruiters are
adults but at times children participate in
recruitment, especially for those working
in bars and lodges.
At times, employers give children money
to go back to villages to recruit girls. The
majority of the girls are brought to work as
housemaids, and when they are subjected
to mistreatment by their employers, they
run away, only to end up in slum areas,
where they start engaging in sex work.
The deprivation of parental care, due
to HIV/AIDS, insecurity and post-war
hardships, poverty and food deprivation,
are other factors leading to child labour
and exposure of girls and boys to sexual
exploitation. These young people often
suffer irreparable damage to their physical,
mental and reproductive life. They face
trauma, early pregnancy and risk sexually-transmitted
diseases, particularly HIV and
AIDS.
Most of the sexually-exploited girls work
in poor settings including slums, streets,
small-rented rooms, lodges and local/cheap
entertainment places. The children usually
live independently, or with peers, who
are also exploited through prostitution.
Some children identify themselves with
‘solidarity groups’, and follow rules to
which every member must conform.
Children involved in commercial sex
in urban slum areas, also engage in
pornographic practices such as; taking
nude pictures, performing nude dances in
karaoke dance groups, mainly to attract
customers for commercial sex. In many
instances, such girls are sold to customers
after the karaoke performance by dance
group managers, who take most of the
proceeds.
Girls undertaking
hairdressing skills

Young People
Consolidated numbers of sexually exploited girls rehabilitated in one of UYDEL
projects from July 2011 to December 2013
Objective
Description
1st July
2011 to 30th
December
2011
1st January
2012 to 30th
June 2012
1st July
2012 to 30th
December
2012
1st January
2013 to 30th
June 2013
1st July
2013 to 31st
December
2013
1st January
2014 to 31st
July 2014
Total
Identification 53 136 171 188 81 59 688
Vocational Training 49 93 171 188 81 57 639
Reunification 22 79 158 33 36 83 411
Case Study
Godfrey, (not his real name), aged 16
years, stayed in Kawempe Division,
Kampala City. Godfrey narrates, “I
worked closely with the female sex
workers while at the lodge. My job
was to hide under the bed before
the female sex worker came into
the lodge with the client. When the
action started, I searched the client’s
trousers and stole all his belongs
such as phones, money, and wallets.
I remained under the bed until they
were done and then we shared the
stuff with the female sex workers. If
the client noticed that his belongings
were missing, the female sex worker
would deny and claim that since they
had been in the room together, she
could not have stolen his belongings.
If he noticed me, he would accuse
the sex worker of conniving with
me. She would protect me and raise
an alarm to alert the other colleagues
so that they could shame the client,
or accuse him of not wanting to
pay. The client would not report the
incident for fear of being ashamed,
and or, arrested.
“I was also in charge of providing the
condoms to the sex workers. I cleaned
and made the beds in the lodge and
UYDEL has rehabilitated commercially
sexually-exploited children since 2004,
through:
Identification: A process of
ascertaining and proving that a person is a
victim of sexual exploitation. It is a process
which is undertaken by social workers or
a concerned citizen with information,
knowledge and understanding of
commercially sexually-exploited children.
Assessment: This is a process of
reviewing information given by the child,
examining the conditions of the child,
verifying information given by other
people, and, determining appropriate
course of action.
Assistance: The main purpose of
assistance to sexually-exploited children
is to facilitate their recovery. Through
this assistance, they recover their dignity
and receive empowerment. The assistance
should be comprehensive including:
counseling, emergency aid, legal aid,
reintegration, skills training, education,
medical care, accommodation and
provision of basic necessities.
Rehabilitation: This involves, but
is not limited to, provision of temporary
residential shelter, individual and group
therapy and interactive sessions. In
addition, there are leisure and recreation
activities including: sports, music dance
and drama and life planning skills sessions;
behavioral change sessions; mentorship
and inspiration talks; vocational; and,
business skills training. Rehabilitation
also includes psychosocial support and
counseling to children, treatment and
health care services and legal protection.
Reintegration: The main purpose of
assistance to the CSEC victims is to ensure
that they return to their own communities or
any place of their choice and meaningfully
reach their potential. Family-tracing should
be done by the social workers and ensure
that a safe return to the family, or country
of origin, is done.
Referral: This is a framework for
identifying victims of CSEC and ensuring
they receive appropriate care.
Follow-up: Once the rehabilitated
children have been returned to their
families, or communities, social workers
make a plan to make a systematic follow-up
to see to it that the victims are settled
sustainably.
Documentation: This is the process
of recording important facts about the
children for future reference.
Two case studies of a boy and girl, indicate
the ordeal of sexually exploited children
and the work UYDEL is doing to give them
a second chance.
Summary totals per center
Masooli 346 Bwaise 174 Makindye 39 Nakulabye 80
A group of girls
participate in a
jewellery therapy
session
A cross section
of young girls
attending a group
therapy session at
UYDEL Masooli
Rehabilitation
center

in return for this work, I received free
accommodation at the lodge. I lived in
this lodge with four other young boys
aged 15 to 17 years and they all did the
same job. The lodge had poor drainage
systems, was always flooded in the rainy
season and had no pit latrine. The other
latrines in the neighborhood, were full
and overflowing. The area is congested
with bars, lodges, drug dealers selling
marijuana, mairungi and aviation fuel.”
It was during one of the community
outreach visits conducted by a UYDEL
staff to brothels and lodges, aimed
at creating awareness about the
Project, dissemination of condoms
and identification of children affected
by commercial sexual-exploitation
that Godfrey, together with other two
friends, were identified and referred to
the UYDEL outreach post in Bwaise.
The next day all the three boys visited
the post in Bwaise. They were assessed and
later referred to the UYDEL rehabilitation
and vocational skills centre in Masooli,
where they were provided with temporary
shelter.
With the guidance of a social worker,
Godfrey was enrolled into the motorbike
mechanics class for a period of six months.
He also participated in group counseling
sessions; music, dance and drama; sports
and recreation; street business skills and
street-smart trainings. Godfrey completed
training on 30th June 2013 and was
resettled with his aunt residing in Kilokole,
Kawempe Division.
At resettlement, the aunt agreed to help
Godfrey find a garage to undertake his
internship. She helped him secure a job in
a motor bike mechanics garage, located in
the trading centre near Kilokole Market.
She paid the employer 150,000/= to accept
him to work in the garage. Godfrey earns
between 10,000/= to 20,000/= on a daily
basis.
He is not paying rent and does not
need transport to go to the workplace
since he can walk to the place from his
aunt’s home. He uses his earnings to
buy clothes, food and other basic needs
and saves between 3000/= to 5000/=,
daily. He has worked in this garage for
eight months now, and with the savings,
he plans to start his own garage in two
years’ time.
“I am happy with the changes in my life
right now and am grateful to the UYDEL
staff and my auntie for this transition.”
He graduated in March 2014 together
with his peers and received a certificate
from UYDEL. He hopes to share his
work experiences with other young
people to prevent similar situations.
Case Study
Patience (not real name), was
rehabilitated at the Bwaise Outreach
post. She acquired skills in hairdressing
and benefited from all services offered
at the centre. She lives in a single room
found in Bokasa zone, Bwaise III
parish and pays rent of 25,000/= per.
She is the fifth born in a family of
six children. When her father lost
his job, she dropped out of school in
Form Three. She joined her mother,
who operates a bar in Ntinda. While
helping out in the bar, Patience started
having sexual relationships with the
customers, and eventually conceived
at the age of 18 years. She delivered
a baby boy. She recalls that she got
complications while giving birth, and
remained unconscious for two weeks,
as her mother took care of the baby.
When the baby boy made 18 months,
Patience left for Kalerwe, to join her
friend who was a karaoke dancer. The
friend introduced her to it, and they
performed from one bar to another,
until the wee hours of the morning.
They earned 8,000/= to 10,000/=, per
night.
Patience realized that her friend had
much more money because she was
engaging in commercial sex to supplement
her income. Patience took a decision to
engage in commercial sex, too, in order
to earn more money, so that she could
contribute to the rent and cater for her son.
She used the extra money to rent a room at
Bwaise where she stayed at the time. “The
house was poorly ventilated and it used to
flood each time it rained,” says Patience.
Later on, Patience joined another group
of four girls. The group was managed by
a man. They performed in bars around
Kampala, and were also taken upcountry
to Gulu, Mbarara and Masaka. They were
paid 8000/= to 10,000/=, per day. Patience
admitted that she attracted male clients,
especially through her dress code. They
paid 10,000/= to 20,000/=, per night.
“I used alcohol in order to be bold while
performing on stage and for confidence
to approach male clients for sex work.
However, there are many challenges in
both karaoke and sex work, for example,
sometimes the bosses abandoned us
upcountry saying that the shows had made
losses. We struggled to find transport back
home. I recall in 2012 when my boss left
us in Kalyambuzi Highland-Ggaba, I had
to sleep with a client who paid 20,000/= for
the night.”
If one was abandoned upcountry, they
had to sleep with more than three men
who paid between 3,000/= and 5,000/=
to raise transport back to Kampala. On
some occasions when they failed to
please or performed poorly, the audience
would throw bottles of urine at them on
stage.
Sometimes, the boss sexually abused the
girls before releasing their payments.
She recalls that her boss forced her into
unprotected sex and he intimidated her
not to reveal to anyone.
Despite the abuse that Patience has
experienced, she is grateful that she was
recruited by UYDEL. She withdrew
from karaoke and commercial sex work.
She is now working in a salon and is
gainfully employed.
Rogers Mutaawe is a Senior
Programme Manager and
Rachael Amucu is a Social
Worker. Both work with
Uganda Youth Development
Link (UYDEL)
Young People

Urban Agriculture: Its Role
in Women’s Socio-Economic
Independence
Urban Agriculture
By Peace Musiimenta
The article is based on a research I carried
out in two selected divisions of Nakawa
and Makindye in Kampala City in 1997 for
my MA in Women Studies and my recent
PhD thesis on redefined subordination of
educated women in contemporary urban
Uganda.
The article focuses on the reasons for
feminization and the importance of urban
agriculture and the role it plays in women’s
struggle for socio-economic independence.
Although the practice maybe perceived as
perpetuating the women’s stereotypical
reproductive roles and responsibilities,
it has helped many women to negotiate
the ever skyrocketing costs of living in
Kampala City.
The literature on urban agriculture reveals
that the practice has been expanding
since the late 1970s in many parts of the
less developing countries due to rapid
urbanization, ineffective agricultural
policies, crippled food distribution
systems, reduction of wages, inflation,
unemployment, lax urban regulation and
drought.
In the developing countries of Africa and
Latin America, food insecurity is drawing
more people in the burgeoning practice of
urban agriculture. Presently, some families
in Western cities have garden allotments,
mainly for vegetables but also poultry and
small ruminants.
In New York City, gardens grow where
urban wastelands existed few years ago,
while apartments of St. Petersburg are
countering the collapse of food systems in
Russia by growing vegetables on roof top
gardens (IDRC, 1994). Mbiba, in his study
carried out in Zimbabwe, analyzed urban
agriculture in Africa as widespread but in
most cases at subsistence level.
Studies done in developing countries have
pointed out that women have increasingly
turned to work in the informal sector. In
Philippines, for example women, control
79% of street enterprises; and in the 7%
that are owned by couples, women are the
major decision-makers.
In Senegal, 53% of vendors are women
(Dankleman and Davidson, 1988). In
Uganda, the situation is not different.
Furthermore, the 1991 population census
results indicated that 52% of Uganda’s
population is women who dwell in urban
areas, and that the majority, are employed
in the informal sector from where they
derive their livelihood and that of their
dependents. However, when I did the
research in 1997, I found that even women
in formal employment were involved in
zero-grazing and growing selected and rare
vegetables.
Urban agriculture is used interchangeably
Left: Back yard
garden with
bananas and
cassava
Right: A woman
feeding her chicken
Agriculture
A passion fruit
garden in the
backyard

with urban farming to mean crop
cultivation and the rearing of livestock in
the open spaces, in built-up areas and in the
urban fringes of large cities and townships.
There are two distinctly different forms of
agriculture within the city. The first occurs
within the central city, the older suburbs,
and city council housing estates and
represents a long-term movement away
from sole reliance on the labor market in
both the formal and informal sectors of
the city’s economy for livelihood, with
increased effort over time devoted towards
production for direct consumption. The
other occurs within the newer suburbs and
the peri-urban areas within the city.
Several factors explain why women
dominate urban agriculture. These
include; the socially-constructed roles,
responsibilities and expectations as
mothers and wives to ensure food security
and a variety of items amidst the ever-increasing
food prices. As Dankelman and
Davidson (1988) put it “… most women
grow food crops in urban areas along road
verges, in residential compounds, on empty
town plots because their incomes are low
and the vegetables are expensive….”
While food insecurity in the city drives
women into searching for alternative and/
or additional sources of food, and as a
subsistence activity, there are those who
engage in urban agriculture simply because
they want particular vegetables that are not
readily available in the market. As one
urban farmer with a good job revealed, “I
do not need money from what I grow but
there are some rare fresh greens such as
gobe, sukuma wiki and others. Moreover,
for us who are Nubians, who are foreigners
in Buganda, we eat some things which are
not common in Buganda. Thus, we have to
grow them ourselves.”
Increased varieties of greens/vegetables,
improve women’s practical needs. Though
it reinforces their socially-constructed
roles, it fulfills one of the women’s
practical needs as mother-wife instinct to
provide a balanced diet for the children and
family in general.
In other cases women are driven into urban
agriculture as a stop-gap for husbands
who abdicate their bread-winning role
or abandon their families. In my recent
doctorate study, I found that there are
different types of masculinities depending
on how they handle marital relations in
times of trouble and poverty.
Two types of masculinity termed
“dependant and resigned masculinities”
describe men who are not able to survive
socio-economic challenges. In this case,
they depend on the efforts of their wives and
entirely abdicate household provisioning
as one woman explained that women
are responsible for household survival
when living conditions worsen. “Life in
Kampala has become so hard that some
men are at a ‘standstill’ and seem to have
stopped thinking. So, as a woman I had to
do something in order to save my children
from starvation. Apart from digging or
keeping chicken what else can I combine
Agriculture
Crops in tins:
a common
phenomenon in
urban areas

Agriculture
with teaching in a Primary school?”
Could it be that in the above case, the
teacher was driven by the mother instinct
to engage in urban agriculture? Most
likely, yes.
While my arguments portray urban
agriculture as a domain of poor women
with little income, there has been a
paradigm shift in the aims and practice of
urban agriculture. There are many affluent
women who are urban farmers growing
mushrooms, greens, onions and tomatoes
in sacks, rear chicken, rabbits and even
cows in bungalows.
One woman resident in Naguru, practicing
urban agriculture, recently commented,
“My maize and greens taste better than
those we buy from Shoprite and Tuskys.”
Similarly, a female agriculture teacher in
one of the Secondary schools in Kampala
City, who grows onions, tomatoes and
spinach in sacks, plastic and metallic
containers on the balcony of her flat says
“Most of the crops we grow are treated like
flowers. I just feel proud and love to look at
onions and greens especially in the evening
Ordinance:
“Urban agriculture has always been part
of Kampala’s economy, playing a key
food security role in the turbulent last few
decades. Today, almost half of Kampala’s
land is used for agriculture, involving some
30% of households. Growing crops and
keeping livestock are an important source
of food and income for the poor, especially
women, for employment, using otherwise
unproductive land, and recycling of waste
amongst other benefits.
“However, in Kampala as elsewhere, there
have been concerns about public health
risks, nuisance, traffic and crime risks.
Planners have not considered agriculture to
be consistent with an urban environment.
However, against the background described
above, the policy environment affecting
urban agriculture in Kampala had for many
years been very unsupportive. In general,
the practice was simply not recognized
in policy. Laws dating from colonial
times were interpreted as prohibiting the
practice, even though there was little or
no mention of agriculture. Overall, there
was a state of confusion. Agriculture was
seen as a marginal activity, and crops
were repeatedly slashed and livestock
confiscated.
“In May 2005, the Mayor of Kampala gave
his final assent to a set of five ordinances,
acknowledging the legal right of residents
to grow food and raise livestock within the
city limits for individual or commercial
purposes. This change is a significant
achievement, as urban agriculture is at
best, only tacitly accepted across sub-
Saharan Africa, and is often banned. This
case study analyses the process that led to
new laws on urban agriculture in Kampala
and the associated changes in attitude and
behaviour of key actors,” they said.
It is becoming fashionable, particularly
among women, to grow food items in their
compounds, pots and sacks for various
reasons. To some, it is a means of income
diversification, improved economic status
and ability to have an independent income
and for self-improvement, while to others,
it contributes to the food consumed by their
families.
Dr. Peace Musiimenta is a
lecturer in the School of Gender
and Women Studies, Makerere
University
when I am relaxing. It brings me happiness
and satisfaction.”
Another woman engaged in urban
agriculture in Rubaga who also runs a
big business in Kikuubo explained; “I
love farming with a passion. If I had a big
compound, I would do much more than
this,” she said, while looking at her two
Friesian cows.
It is clear that urban farming is feminized
just as rural agriculture is a women’s
domain. Nevertheless, it makes the women
more resilient, gives them a rural touch
or instinct, and improves their socio-economic
status in a number of ways. For
example, it increases women’s level of
decision-making, not only in regards to
what should be cooked, but it improves
their economic muscle as they acquire
some level of independent income and
level of satisfaction. .
But what is the legality of the practice?
I talked to one Kampala Capital City
Authority (KCCA) official who explained
in detail the legal status of urban agriculture
in reference to the 2006 Urban Agriculture
Apiculture is
possible in
urban areas

CHILDREN DO
NOT BELONG
TO THE STREET
By Beatrice Ayikoru
The sight of children roaming the streets is
disturbing.
The Street Children phenomenon has
been in existence for quite a long time
but previously, it was mainly boys. In the
recent past the phenomenon has taken a
new twist with the influx of Karimojong
children and women who beg for survival
on the streets of Kampala City.
The original factors that drove Karimojong
children and their families to the streets
included: household poverty, famine,
lack of alternative sources of livelihood,
domestic violence, and neglect.
Presently, the existence of Karamojong
on the streets is closely tied to the
‘commercialization’ of begging. The irony
is that the Karimojong children and their
mothers come from Napak District which
is in Karamoja’s green belt. This district
offers more livelihood opportunities than
other parts of the region.
In an attempt to attract public sympathy,
children, including infants, are being
used in ‘supervised’ street begging. They
are hired and placed by adults to beg on
the streets as a source of income. This
Street Children
Photo: Paul Wambi

Uganda Woman Magazine IJssue 5

Uganda Woman Magazine IJssue 5

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