The demolition of Mukono Xtreme Park (MXP) two weeks ago has left young skateboarders without a training base, ending years of activity at one of the district’s most visible grassroots action-sports venues.
The facility at Wantoni Stage in Mukono, at St Noah Mawaggali Primary School, had a BMX freestyle dirt ramp and a skateboarding section that attracted young riders from the town and surrounding areas. But the park was pulled down after a land dispute.
The owners reportedly demanded a substantial fee from the Uganda Skateboarding Federation, an amount far beyond the means of a group that survives on limited government support.
The association could not raise the money, leaving the park vulnerable as the ownership dispute unfolded.
Ramps reduced to rubble
For the young riders, the demolition was more than the loss of ramps and open space. MXP had become a daily meeting point, a training ground and a community hub where skateboarders could spend their time productively.
Uganda Skating Federation (USF) president Moses Ddungu said the federation had anticipated complications around the land but was now looking at the setback as an opportunity to establish a bigger and more secure facility.
‘It is fine for us that we relocated. Secondly, we have an opportunity to build a bigger park,’ Ddungu said.
He added that the federation was identifying suitable land for a replacement skateboarding park and that partners were ready to support the project.
‘We are now looking for suitable space. Our partners are ready to give us a hand to see the new project come to life,’ he said.
Young riders left waiting
For now, however, there is little immediate relief for the young people who used the Mukono park.
Gerald Gose, the brain behind Uganda Skateboard Society, who established the facility, said the closure would affect the riders who had built their routine around the venue.
‘The youths in the area will be affected for the duration until a new skatepark is secured. But we have nurtured them well and we hope they will still be disciplined to avoid any trouble in their life,’ Gose said.
Skateboarding has grown largely through community effort, with riders and volunteers creating spaces where formal sports infrastructure has been scarce.
The country now has established skateboarding facilities at Kiteezi and Kitintale, while smaller do-it-yourself spots and community-led projects continue to emerge in Kampala and other areas.
The Kiteezi Skatepark, located in the Kiteezi-Lusanja area outside Kampala, is Uganda’s first international-standard concrete skatepark. The 450-square-metre facility was built early this year with support from international volunteers and the local Climate Skaters community.
Kitintale’s hand-built concrete street park has also remained an important training ground for riders in Kampala.
‘We shall be patient until we have our work done,’ Ddungu said.
Fresh start
The federation’s next challenge is to secure land and funding for a facility that can replace MXP and give Mukono’s riders a permanent home.
Constructing an average-sized concrete skatepark of about 450 square metres can cost between Shs92m and Shs167m, depending on site preparation, materials, design and the use of local or imported specialist labour. This is without costs of land.
For the riders who watched their ramps come down, the hope is that the demolition will be the beginning of a stronger facility built on secure ground.