I recently had what I would like to call a rediscovery mission in Tororo. The one week stay in our beloved Rock town opened my eyes to many things.
Today, I will focus my talk on one aspect of our town, the development agenda of our beloved soon to be City. To many this may sound like a dream. But every milestone starts as a dream.
We can start by turning the Senior Quaters into a modern holiday destination. I noticed that there is a buleavard size road being constructed towards the Senior Quaters and if all goes well, it will join Malaba road near Rock Classic Hotel.
The snail pace at which this project is being implemented not withstanding, the vision is commendable and I thank the Municipal Authority for it. The problem though is the appaling state of the Senior Quaters. We all know the prestige and honor once associated with living or owning property in the Senior Quaters in the late 70s.
Today, the area sticks out like a sore thump, lacking in all aspects. The once posh homes, the lush green environment complete with exotic species of trees are just but a sad reminder of the glorious past. You drive through Senior quaters at night and you are swallowed into the abyss of pitch black darkness. The once glorious senior quaters is to say the least, a ghost section of town today. Amidst this grim situation however, there are folks with a vision and are trying to invest in the area for the future. one such people are the owners of Green Leave Meadows, a Bed And breakfast facility that I would gladly rate at Five Star if I had the powers. I do not know the owner of this facility but I apploud his vision and this set me thinking. If only the Municipal Authorities can wake up from the slumber and come up with a plan for Tororo. Something along the lines of Vision 2040 for Tororo.
This plan would focus on giving Tororo a facelift cominserate with international urban development trends. Start with Senior Quaters. come up with a deliberate policy to turn the eastern side of Tororo Rock where Senior Quaters is into a bedrock of modernity, benchmarking on what Green Leaf Meadows people have done. Attract investments to turn this beautiful area into high end resort center complete with malls, Classy appartments, Hotels, high end guest houses and restaurants and rock climbing facilities.
The Municipal Authorities should not look far for investors. start by attracting the Jopadhola spread across the world. Many of them are well to do people sleeping on stack of money. Many have put up mansions in Kampala and their village homes.
They may be looking for investment opportunities. encourage them to come home and access land to invest. The transfomation of Tororo can only start by making it attractive for people who have money and would like to spend it here in their home land. we can make Tororo senior quaters a look alike of the Mathaigas of this world.
It all starts with a vision. Wouldn’t you think so too? The Jopadhola are patriotic people they love their town. Give them a reason to drive home every weekend to spend money here, the same way folks from Western Uganda do.
As it is now most Jopadhola who come to town only daily basis to make a leaving, do not reside in Tororo. As the sun prepares to set in the western hemisphere, they also prepare to leave the town for villages. By 7 o’clock in the night, the beautiful town is abondoned to the ghosts, making it the worst town with no night life.
As we plan to launch Rock City Radio, a platform that will serve as the springboard of Development of Padhola, I trust that this is the kind of conversation we will have on air. Padhola Oyindira!
Jackson Oboth is a Development Communications Specialist, Journalist and a Public Relations Practitioner.
