Young people take to video gaming

In Kyaliwajjala, Wakiso, a new craze has taken root: Video games.

 It all started with a small gaming café located near the Naalya taxi stage. The café, owned by a tech-savvy young man named Kato, was nothing more than a single room with a few old computers and a couple of gaming consoles.

But to the youth of Kyaliwajjala, it was a portal to another world. Kato says he had brought the idea back from Kampala, where he had seen similar cafés thriving.

However the beginning was not easy.

“First I realized that during the school term, the numbers are few because our customers are usually young people especially male,” he says.

With time, the business took off and every evening it is packed with teenagers eager to get their hands on the controllers.

Kato says the most popular games were FIFA and Need for Speed.

“These games are a hit among the youth because many of them love soccer, especially the Premier League,” Kato says. “Young people also like fast cars that they see in the movies.”

Among the regulars was an 18-year-old named Musa. Musa is known for his soccer skills, but he had never imagined that he could translate those skills into a virtual world.

“The first time I played FIFA at Kato’s café, I was hooked. The thrill of controlling my favorite players, the strategy of outsmarting my opponents, and the sheer joy of scoring a goal—it was fun,” he says.

Today he is among the best FIFA player in Kyaliwajjala.

Matthew Businge, 21, says he has always been fascinated by cars and his favourite video game is Need for Speed.

He says he loves the adrenaline rush of speeding through virtual streets, dodging traffic, and outmaneuvering his opponents. His skills were unmatched.

Kato says soon he is expanding his business.

“I want to add more consoles and even host weekly tournaments. The tournaments will have prizes ranging from free gaming hours to small cash rewards,” he says.

He expects the competition to be fierce and the stakes are high.

However, not everyone is happy about the gaming craze. Some of the older folks in the community see it as a distraction, a waste of time that could be better spent on more productive activities.

Some fear that in gaming cafes, young people could pick bad habits.

“They spend so much time here just playing games. That is not good at all,” says Saul Musumba, a local leader.

Despite the challenges, the gaming craze has continued to grow. It is more than just entertainment. It is a lifestyle.