Kampala Corrupt - Uganda better

By Henry Owera

The Capital city of Uganda is Kampala. The Pearl of Africa has better to offer other than than Kampala. Gifted by nature and spoilt by nurture!

Other than having established entertainment centres, more developed and industrialised commercial hub in Uganda, I wonder wether there is anything better Kampala offers. With flooding willy nilly come whatever rains, corrupt and haggling officers, cheats and a better- but- still hopeless traffic police, Kampala offers nothing but misery! One may long for a better capital city to be proud of!

So why all the bad mouthing? I have seen beautiful pictures of Kigali, never been there but would love to, and Kigali given her past history contrasts kampala. I know you kampala. And then I was in this matatu heading for a City suburb and who stops our motor vehicle? - a Traffic Constable! Let me decribe him: A man, probably in his late 30s or early 40s, pot bellied, not smart and an ugly sight to look at!

This officer, like many of his colleagues, stopped the vehicle and for ten to twenty minutes he kept us waiting but then his wispherings said it all - he had no clear charge to press against the driver, but stood in the sun miserably -he wanted kitokidogo (Read: Bribe) usually for a helicopter - a helicopter is their infamous reference to a chicken! The officer pleaded, the driver stood his ground! Still the miserable sight was there haggling forever! The passengers and yours truelly had no option but to get out of the matatu and find alternatives. I hope he got nothing and justice served! Too much for kampalaism and the festive mood!

kabale - the Switzerland of Uganda and her beautiful lanscape sceneries, Mbale at the foot of Mt. Elgon with her erotic Kidodi moves, Kapchwora with her Sippi Falls, Jinja with the mystic River Nile, Kasese with the summit of the Mountains of the Moon, not to leave Mbarara and Forto with gorgeous curves!, Entebbe, Arua, LA (Read: Lira District), . . . national parks and forests , Uganda is much more beautiful than what Kampala potrays. Come this festive season I would rather be upcountry and watch clear heavens and enjoy river bank pleasures than be taunted by Kampala City- my - hoof!

Which capital would I Love to spend my 2006/7 festive season? Answer: Juba - the Capital of South Sudan or Kigali the Capital of Rwanda! For the love of adventure, adrenaline should flow!