By Ortega Ian
Garden City like many other malls in Kampala was one of those places that announces the new and Urban Uganda or perhaps Kampala to the world. It was the first modern mall to grace the skies of the seven hills and it is upon the stones of this mall that the Emperors who ruled Kampala built their house. For many, it was an expression of the long-awaited future. A future where the middle class would eat their cake and still have it-eat out, shop and have all kinds of entertainment in one place. As with all great civilizations, the collapse can only be delayed, but not denied.
Soon enough, other malls opened up in Kampala. Many times in history, nature has never allowed the existence of a vacuum. The death of one thing is the start of life for another. Thus, with the birth of Nakumatt Oasis Mall, Garden City on the other hand begun its slow but steady decline. Everyone saw it coming, but few had the courage to acknowledge it. In June 2009, the first Nakumatt store in Uganda opened on Yusuf Lule Road on Kololo Hill, in central Kampala, the capital city. It is on this same day, that the books of history began writing the eulogy for Garden City and the epitaph to follow the fall of this city.
With many businesses choosing to shift location, with many malls getting opened in various Kampala suburbs, Garden city became a city that was to be abandoned. It was thus forced to welcome the youthful teenagers of Uganda who were in humble excitement of being away from the protection of mum and dad. As more teenagers came in, more adults were exiting the city. The adults now opted to shop at new malls such as Quality Shopping Mall in Kyaliwajjala and Metroplex in Naalya just to mention but a few.
Then the movie business of Cineplex came under attack, there was a better bargain at Metroplex Naalya of the 3D Cinema Magic. Again, other loyal fans of the city were lost. Yet, the food courts remained standing, or limping, holding on to their last breath, uncertain of what the future holds.
Today, a walk about the food court reveals that many have closed shop. The few that remain have more staff than clients on a given hour. It’s not about profitability anymore, it’s about survival. The fall that was to come, finally landed, not in ways many expected, but more like an asteroid hitting the earth in Siberia.
More shocking for many is the fact that the fall of Garden City is simply a reflection of more obituaries that will be written for other Ugandan malls. And it’s not even the online malls to blame; it’s simply the mall boom all over the city. For many customers, they are being over-retailed. Gone are the days when a customer had a few options under the sleeves when it came to malls. Today, a young and youthful Ian will throw a stone and it will hit a mall from any direction. Malls in Uganda are going broke, going dark and will get closed. The rise and fall of Garden City is simply a grand metaphor for the fate many other malls are destined to follow.
It’s a new trend of the ghost malls, where the malls eventually have outstripped the demand. What will eventually replace these ghost malls are community colleges, business offices, and health care facilities, according to Green Street Advisors. Until then, many of these former shopping hubs will continue the gradual process of boarding up windows and turning out the lights, one store after another.
Garden City has become another of those abandoned malls, and the scene is not very different for most Kampala malls. Soon, many will have to change strategy and host concerts, a strategy that has worked for the Freedom City Mall. Maybe, Garden City to survive may have to change tack, incorporate libraries and housing, host a few University branches and then hold onto that for as long as it can. If the fate for most Ugandan shopping malls has not been sealed, at least the death of Garden City marks the beginning of that end. Soon, we shall have our own deadmalls.com of the Ugandan version.
To Garden City, may you Rest In Peace mighty mall.
