Mbarara is my hometown. I was born and raised in Mbarara until the age of 15 years. It is the second largest city in Uganda, after Kampala city. Mbarara is located about 167 miles from Kampala city. Mbarara is a global South city. Mbarara is home to the Ankole tribe group of Uganda. The Ankole tribe is well known for their great cattle (Ankole cattle). It is from these cattle that the world’s best milk is produced! Similarly, Mbarara is famous for its honey. Growing up, Mbarara was a small town with huge growth potential. I saw its economic/industrial growth right before my eyes. I witnessed the first Nakumart and shopping mall get built as a child.
Mbarara attained its city classification in July of 2020. For most of my life, the narrative was that Mbarara is going to be a city one day. In terms of economically developed cities in Uganda, Mbarara was 4th on the list. It was always below Kampala, Entebbe, and Gulu. However, it is contemporarily the second largest city in Uganda. Mbarara plays a huge role in the manufacturing industry of Uganda. One of the biggest steel manufacturing plants is located here. Also Mbarara is famous for its breweries that produce the most popular beers and beverages in Uganda. It is safe to say that Mbarara plays a vital role in the economy of Uganda. I am proud of how far Mbarara has come and where it is going.
Growing up in Mbarara, I truly enjoyed the weather/climate. Mbarara is located in the tropics, a few miles north of the equator. The climate consisted of a sunny season, rainy season, and windy season. My favorite season is the sunny season. This season is when passion fruit is harvested. This is my favorite fruit grown in Uganda. My family would go swimming during the sunny season to enjoy the sun. Going swimming to the local pool was a community bonding activity, as it is where I would meet school friends.
The busiest street in Mbarara is called High Street. It is Mbarara’s equivalent of Wall Street. It is where the banks, forex bureaus, shops, offices, and restaurants were located. From my memory, High Street is congested with traffic at rush hours with cars and motorbikes. There is always music playing and so much going on. Sadly, the street parking spots are limited and this would upset my parents. I spent a good amount of time on High Street as it is where my dad owned a forex bureau. I enjoyed taking walks on High Street during school holiday breaks. High Street really shows the hard working nature of the people of Mbarara. People are always walking with energy and motivation.
I attended Mbarara Preparatory School for my primary education. It is located in the Boma division of Mbarara. In my opinion, Boma is one of the most beautiful areas of Mbarara city. Boma is famous for its golf courses and rooftop restaurants. It is here where I learned how to play golf. I remember going to school in uniform as it was the school policy. My teachers were a wealth of knowledge as they taught me Science, Math, English, and Social Studies. The motto of Mbarara Preparatory School is “Prepare for the Future”. In my opinion, I would say the education I received shaped my thinking for a lifetime.
One thing I found interesting was how underpaid the teachers were. I remember that not one teacher owned a car. In fact, teachers would either take a bike taxi or walk to and from school. I found this sad because they worked hard to educate the students everyday. The school week went from Monday to Saturday for higher grade students. One thing I lacked in my primary education was sports. In Mbarara, most schools could not afford sports and athletics. Furthermore, schools only have activity time for sports one hour a week. If I could change one thing about Mbarara schools, it would be adding more funding for sports and athletics.
From a societal standpoint, I felt that Mbarara lacked the resources for a thriving community. In terms of healthcare, patients have to pay out of pocket for medical appointments. Sadly, Mbarara is lacking in the availability of medical infrastructure and equipment. I remember having to travel to Kampala in order to get braces. Furthermore, life saving medical technologies like cancer medicine are very inadequate. I think a major area of growth for Mbarara is healthcare. Also, the transportation industry in Mbarara is egregious. The city streets are crowded and polluted by gas powered motor vehicles. I hope for strides for more electric vehicles in the future.
In conclusion, I am proud to call Mbarara home and I can't wait to see its continued growth.
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