Hundreds of the 100,000 royal palm trees recently planted by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) are now causing concern among city dwellers as many have begun to dry up.
The prominent trees were donated by businessman Hamis Kiggundu as part of KCCA’s green initiative, aimed at contributing to a more environmentally-friendly urban landscape.
They were planted ahead of the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and G77+ China summits held in Kampala in January, with KCCA planting them along roads in all five divisions of the metropolis to beautify the city.
However, the campaign has suffered a setback as a significant number of trees continue to dry up and wither, despite being officially inaugurated with a tree planting ceremony on Ggaba Road in Makindye division.
Ismail Kirya from the Democratic Party expressed concern over the drying up of the trees, highlighting previous instances where the government failed to account for taxpayers’ money.
In response, KCCA spokesperson Peter Kasyate urged the public to take part in maintaining the trees, noting that some were planted in front of people’s homes and workplaces. He attributed the drying up of the trees to people stepping on them and emphasized the need for proper maintenance.
Meanwhile, a tree dealer explained that the palm trees were procured when still young and require constant watering to prevent them from drying up. She noted that younger trees require special attention and emphasized the importance of factors such as heat, sunlight, and soil type in tree growth.
This is not the first time such an occurrence has taken place in Kampala, as a similar incident happened after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2007, where trees planted by dignitaries from participating countries withered shortly after planting. Each tree represented a Commonwealth member state.
