Why is Kurunegala a success story?
Greetings to you, dear readers! I hope you are all keeping well. Knight Sky has just been telling me how brave and hardworking Sri Lankans are and I had to agree! Sri Lankans are a bunch that pushes forward even in the most trying times. And as a supporter of hard work and constant seeking of the truth, I am here to tell you why and how Kurunegala is a success story from all areas you could invest in. I hope through this letter, you will be more encouraged and convinced to make the right choices as I know you always do.
For starters, Kurunegala is not a new city, nor is it in close proximity to the financial capital like Gampaha. Kurunegala cannot market itself by saying its only a few kilometers to Colombo. In other words, Kurunegala does not piggyback on Colombo. Because of this, it is a city that has developed independently.
Kurunegala is a Legacy City with a colorful history and has all the required elements needed for a city, such as schools, international schools, hospitals, and people. Take a look at this table that Knight Sky prepared for you.
| (CBSL Annual Report, 2020) | Kurunegala | Colombo | Gampaha |
| Population | 1,729,000 (3rd place) | 2,448,000 | 2,417,000 |
| Medical officers | 1,069 (4th place) | 4,454 | 1,767 |
| Government school teachers | 20,000 (1st place) | 18,000 | 16,000 |
| Road Kilometerage | 2,576 km (1st place) | 873 km | 1,677 km |
| Electricity consumption Gwh | 1,481 (2nd place) | 1,522 (Colombo City) | n/a |
Do you see how in terms of population, medical officers, government school teachers, road kilometrage and electricity consumption, Kurunegala definitely takes a top place on the list? That makes for a good city, don’t you think?
Kurunegala real estate will continue to grow and here’s why. Sri Lankan banks and financial institutions will always consider and prefer land as a solid investment and asset. Which gives the investor an opportunity to utilize this asset as a collateral for any future borrowings, to raise personal / commercial fundings. Location is everything. Other than “Galle Road”, Kurunegala (minus the Central Expressway) has access to almost all main roads in the country: Kandy Road, Dambulla Road, Puttalam Road, Negombo Road and Colombo Road. The Central Expressway is a springboard for sure, but it’s not the only highway that’s connecting the district to the rest of the country. Furthermore, the Kadawatha – Mirigama connection will also be complete within 18 months. Therefore, travel time will drop to 1 hour from Colombo to Kurunegala.
According to the Road Development Authority, by 2030 three more highways will be intersecting through Kurunegala; Kandy Central Expressway (Connecting through Pothuhera, Kurunegala to Galagedara, Kandy – 32.5 km), Northern Expressway (Kurunegala to Jaffna) and Eastern Expressway (Kurunegala to Trincomalee).
So there you have it! This is my take on why Kurunegala is a success story by factual collection of data and analysis. I hope this has been of some use to all you seekers of the truth.
Join me and Knight Sky next time for more insightful letters! It is always a pleasure to connect with you!
Yours Truly,
Jupiter Sebastian
