Let me give you a glimpse of Uganda
THE PEARL OF AFRICA – is what Winston Churchill once called Uganda. And he had a point!
Since 2004 I have been travelling on 12 occasions to this sub-Saharan country in the centre of Africa, perched on the equator.
My main reasons for making those regular trips are of humanitarian nature as I have started some kind of small and private social development project.
However, in this little “report” I would like to focus on the country and her people, the daily life, the beauty, the nature and the blessings of this small African country.
And whilst the narrative will be an important part in this story, the main focus should be on the visual.
And in doing so, I wish to thank all my many friends in Uganda for allowing me to meet them and to capture some of their daily lives.
I have tried to bring this report into some kind of order under a variety of ‘topics’
I might also add that in all my trips – since a lot of my time is spent working there, rather than doing touristy things – my main focus has, by the nature of my visits, been the capital Kampala. But on a few occasions I have ventured further through the country and got to know at least some parts outside Kampala.
Monday, 22 February 2010
A glimpse of Uganda - a bit of history
History & Culture – Kasubi tombs
This is an extract from the official website of Kasubi:
The first Kabaka (the collective name for the Buganda Kings) to be buried at Kasubi was Muteesa I, the 35th King of Buganda. The dates of the reigns of the Kabakas are only precisely known from Ssekabaka Suuna II, who ruled from 1836 to 1856.
The Baganda belong to the Bantu speaking people and date their political civilization back to the 13th century A.D.
Four Kabakas (Bassekabaka) are buried at Kasubi tombs, namely:
Muteesa I (1835-1884)
Basamula Mwanga II (1867-1903)
Daudi Chwa II (1896-1939)
Fredrick Walugembe Muteesa II (1924-1969)
Muzibu Azaala Mpanga is the main tomb area or palace. The first palace was originally built by Ssekabaka King Suuna II in 1820 (a deceased Kabaka is referred to as Ssekabaka). The main building that is seen today was rebuilt by Ssekabaka Mutesa I, son of Suuna II, in 1882.
Muzibu Azaala Mpanga, which means “A tough one brings forth powerful ones”, is circular in plan and has a dome-like shape. Its massive scale can be seen in its external diameter of 31 meters and an internal height of 7.5 meters.
The thatching technique at the Kasubi tombs is quite unique and can hardly be compared to any other African or European thatching technique. The grass is prepared in conical bundles which are simply laid onto the roof structure without being tied, except for the first layers at the bottom. When one of these bundles decays, it can be efficiently replaced. This interesting technique makes the huge maintenance task of the thatched roofs much easier.
In the main Palace Hall, the four “widows” of the four Ssekabakas are the guardians of the graves. They live here most of the time and during the day, they tend to manufacture floor mats and other handicraft items.
I have visited Kasubi twice in the last 6 years
During one of those visits, we enjoyed a guided tour. One of the ‘funny’ stories we were told, concerns the religious orientation in Uganda
In the 18th and 19th century a fair few traders from the Middle East – mostly muslims – came into the area of Uganda. And, as is often the case, apart from their goods and trades, they also brought their religion to the people of Uganda, well at least they tried.
Now it is a common tradition in Uganda that as far as possible, men, and in particular men of high social standards (such as kings) are spared, as much as possible, any physical pain.
Conversion to Islam required the ritual of circumcision. That painful operation, however, was not really acceptable and hence Islam failed to make a significant impact in Uganda.
This is one of the “women houses” within the compound where relatives of the Kabakas live.
This is an extract from the official website of Kasubi:
The first Kabaka (the collective name for the Buganda Kings) to be buried at Kasubi was Muteesa I, the 35th King of Buganda. The dates of the reigns of the Kabakas are only precisely known from Ssekabaka Suuna II, who ruled from 1836 to 1856.
The Baganda belong to the Bantu speaking people and date their political civilization back to the 13th century A.D.
Four Kabakas (Bassekabaka) are buried at Kasubi tombs, namely:
Muteesa I (1835-1884)
Basamula Mwanga II (1867-1903)
Daudi Chwa II (1896-1939)
Fredrick Walugembe Muteesa II (1924-1969)
Muzibu Azaala Mpanga is the main tomb area or palace. The first palace was originally built by Ssekabaka King Suuna II in 1820 (a deceased Kabaka is referred to as Ssekabaka). The main building that is seen today was rebuilt by Ssekabaka Mutesa I, son of Suuna II, in 1882.
Muzibu Azaala Mpanga, which means “A tough one brings forth powerful ones”, is circular in plan and has a dome-like shape. Its massive scale can be seen in its external diameter of 31 meters and an internal height of 7.5 meters.
The thatching technique at the Kasubi tombs is quite unique and can hardly be compared to any other African or European thatching technique. The grass is prepared in conical bundles which are simply laid onto the roof structure without being tied, except for the first layers at the bottom. When one of these bundles decays, it can be efficiently replaced. This interesting technique makes the huge maintenance task of the thatched roofs much easier.
In the main Palace Hall, the four “widows” of the four Ssekabakas are the guardians of the graves. They live here most of the time and during the day, they tend to manufacture floor mats and other handicraft items.
I have visited Kasubi twice in the last 6 years
During one of those visits, we enjoyed a guided tour. One of the ‘funny’ stories we were told, concerns the religious orientation in Uganda
In the 18th and 19th century a fair few traders from the Middle East – mostly muslims – came into the area of Uganda. And, as is often the case, apart from their goods and trades, they also brought their religion to the people of Uganda, well at least they tried.
Now it is a common tradition in Uganda that as far as possible, men, and in particular men of high social standards (such as kings) are spared, as much as possible, any physical pain.
Conversion to Islam required the ritual of circumcision. That painful operation, however, was not really acceptable and hence Islam failed to make a significant impact in Uganda.
This is one of the “women houses” within the compound where relatives of the Kabakas live.
A glimpse of Uganda - City of Kampala
Kampala the city
From a typical tourist point of view, the city does not offer a lot, in terms of buildings or interesting streetscapes. However, the city as a whole is quite varied and has many “shades” of appearance, which make it interesting.
First of all, it is built on a number of hills – the Kampala tourist office claims that it is 7 hills and thus compares it directly with Rome.- I must admit, I find the comparison somewhat adventurous, but so be it.
What I find interesting when driving through the city is how much country life penetrates the city. In some parts, like Kabuusu, where the house is which I rent as my office and accommodation during my visits, you can drive a few minutes and you are in a real African village. And that might be some 20 minutes drive away from the city centre.
….Drive away…. Important issue. The traffic in Kampala can be challenging. As I wrote after my first visit.
The drive from Entebbe to Kampala gave me a first glimpse of a different world. Maybe a bit comparable to a cab drive from the Airport in Kathmandu to the city. The street from the airport to the city is one of the few very good ones, as it is also the main route to Nairobi (Kenya) I should soon learn that this was the exception, not the rule to encounter a tarmac road. Traffic was fairly dense and free wheeling to say the least.
A wealth of choice – as long as you know, which one to select at the bus terminal in Kampala city
In Kampala there is essentially only one traffic rule and that is “keep your nerves” everything else is more or less a matter of adhoc negotiation.
In Kampala they afford themselves the luxury of approximately 3 sets of traffic lights. For a city of some 1.2 Million inhabitants (the figure is a rough estimate, as nobody knows precisely how many there are in Kampala and the figure changes frequently by way of internal migration) 3 traffic lights is basically 3 too many. Unless you were to have about 3000, 3 are as useless as a hole in the head.
Traffic in Kampala usually moves at a fairly slow pace for two reasons, firstly congestion, secondly conditions of the roads. In the inner city of Kampala, around Kampala Road, Jinja Road etc. the traffic is very dense during daytime.
The majority of cars are little 12 seater buses which are communal taxis serving as public transport. The fact that they have 12 seats, does not mean that they would not accommodate around 15 people if need be.
Most of the drivers of these taxis have a kamikaze like attitude towards traffic rules. And since they tend to be in the majority, they usually rule, that is unless two or more of them cancel each other out in terms of who is first into the round about. That sometimes offers a ‘window of opportunity’ for other traffic contestants to try their luck with turning into a street or fitting into the flow around one of the ubiquitous round abouts.
It can sometimes be quite helpful to follow a driver who has proven to be particularly successful in negotiating his way into the traffic flow. However, such ‘luck’ of following a good leader is usually only short lived since they stop and go frequently to drop off or take on new passengers.
An equally numerous mode of transportation are motorbikes which tend to zip through the traffic, using every available inch of free space, or what seems to be free space for a fleeting moment. Those too can carry numbers of passengers which are well and truly in excess of the original design rules. And a large part of the motorcycle riders are the so called Bodaboda, which is the motorcycle taxi.
The second challenge in Kampala traffic are potholes. They come in all shapes and sizes from little unevenness in the street surface to baby-bathtub sized deep holes which, once entered abruptly can render your suspension perfectly useless. Over the years, I have learned the location of those potholes, at least the really big ones. But, as you might expect, they change. Some get filled, some start a new life. And it is during every visit my challenge, to learn the new ones.
One thing struck my eye when driving from the airport into the city and that were the large number of carpentry businesses along the main road which all displayed beds very prominently in front of their ‘shops’. That prompted me to give Uganda the moniker ‘the sleeping country’
A wonderful invention is shown in these pics. This is one of the ubiquitous round abouts with a twist. It is at the bottom of the street which comes down from the King’s palace. Now, if the King wants to drive into the city, those little gates are opened, so that the king does not need to submit to the indignity of driving around the round about but drives straight through it.
From a typical tourist point of view, the city does not offer a lot, in terms of buildings or interesting streetscapes. However, the city as a whole is quite varied and has many “shades” of appearance, which make it interesting.
First of all, it is built on a number of hills – the Kampala tourist office claims that it is 7 hills and thus compares it directly with Rome.- I must admit, I find the comparison somewhat adventurous, but so be it.
What I find interesting when driving through the city is how much country life penetrates the city. In some parts, like Kabuusu, where the house is which I rent as my office and accommodation during my visits, you can drive a few minutes and you are in a real African village. And that might be some 20 minutes drive away from the city centre.
….Drive away…. Important issue. The traffic in Kampala can be challenging. As I wrote after my first visit.
The drive from Entebbe to Kampala gave me a first glimpse of a different world. Maybe a bit comparable to a cab drive from the Airport in Kathmandu to the city. The street from the airport to the city is one of the few very good ones, as it is also the main route to Nairobi (Kenya) I should soon learn that this was the exception, not the rule to encounter a tarmac road. Traffic was fairly dense and free wheeling to say the least.
A wealth of choice – as long as you know, which one to select at the bus terminal in Kampala city
In Kampala there is essentially only one traffic rule and that is “keep your nerves” everything else is more or less a matter of adhoc negotiation.
In Kampala they afford themselves the luxury of approximately 3 sets of traffic lights. For a city of some 1.2 Million inhabitants (the figure is a rough estimate, as nobody knows precisely how many there are in Kampala and the figure changes frequently by way of internal migration) 3 traffic lights is basically 3 too many. Unless you were to have about 3000, 3 are as useless as a hole in the head.
Traffic in Kampala usually moves at a fairly slow pace for two reasons, firstly congestion, secondly conditions of the roads. In the inner city of Kampala, around Kampala Road, Jinja Road etc. the traffic is very dense during daytime.
The majority of cars are little 12 seater buses which are communal taxis serving as public transport. The fact that they have 12 seats, does not mean that they would not accommodate around 15 people if need be.
Most of the drivers of these taxis have a kamikaze like attitude towards traffic rules. And since they tend to be in the majority, they usually rule, that is unless two or more of them cancel each other out in terms of who is first into the round about. That sometimes offers a ‘window of opportunity’ for other traffic contestants to try their luck with turning into a street or fitting into the flow around one of the ubiquitous round abouts.
It can sometimes be quite helpful to follow a driver who has proven to be particularly successful in negotiating his way into the traffic flow. However, such ‘luck’ of following a good leader is usually only short lived since they stop and go frequently to drop off or take on new passengers.
An equally numerous mode of transportation are motorbikes which tend to zip through the traffic, using every available inch of free space, or what seems to be free space for a fleeting moment. Those too can carry numbers of passengers which are well and truly in excess of the original design rules. And a large part of the motorcycle riders are the so called Bodaboda, which is the motorcycle taxi.
The second challenge in Kampala traffic are potholes. They come in all shapes and sizes from little unevenness in the street surface to baby-bathtub sized deep holes which, once entered abruptly can render your suspension perfectly useless. Over the years, I have learned the location of those potholes, at least the really big ones. But, as you might expect, they change. Some get filled, some start a new life. And it is during every visit my challenge, to learn the new ones.
One thing struck my eye when driving from the airport into the city and that were the large number of carpentry businesses along the main road which all displayed beds very prominently in front of their ‘shops’. That prompted me to give Uganda the moniker ‘the sleeping country’
A wonderful invention is shown in these pics. This is one of the ubiquitous round abouts with a twist. It is at the bottom of the street which comes down from the King’s palace. Now, if the King wants to drive into the city, those little gates are opened, so that the king does not need to submit to the indignity of driving around the round about but drives straight through it.
A glimpse of Uganda - Rubaga Kabuusu
Rubaga Kabuusu, where I live in Kampala
During my first visit, I stayed at the Sheraton in the city centre. And as it so happens, Mr and Mrs Sheraton tend to charge worldwide applicable prices per night, almost irrespective of where in this world the respective accommodation is offered.
Now let me introduce our house, office, STATUS QUO Kampala headquarter in Masaka Road
there is a little guarde house in front of the entrance
and there is often the Taxi parked, which I use for local transport
and our little veranda, where we often sit in the evening for a drink and a chat
and yes, we are highly computerised
things inside are - well - simple
that's my loo
and that's my bed
For many reasons, cost of accommodation being one of them, I decided that I needed a house in Kampala. It worked out, that the charge for one night at the Sheraton approximately equals 2 months rent for a whole house in Rubaga.
I decided on Kabuusu as a location because it is fairly close to where many of my friends have their own social contacts. And if we want to go shopping, we don’t need to cross through the city, but – passing by Makerere, the University – can go to Lugogo Mall or Garden City, where the two main shopping centres are.
and here are some pictures from the immediate neighbourhood
And in Rubaga – of which Kabuusu is a sector of the suburb – there is the wonderfully named Wankulukuku market, where these days a few of our own shops are located and where I rent a little block of land with a large container on it, which houses two of our businesses.
Johnny is ready to hit the road - and yes, he gets a few comments - flattering or otherwise - for these shoes!!
Here we are, waiting for the local bus on Masaka road
In our western terms, one would probably call Kabuusu a low to middle class suburb, which fits me perfectly. If only we could close down the local disco!! Their noise can be rather penetrant, in particular on weekends.
And I found two very funny places in the immediate neighbourhood which seemed to indicate, that I really belong here
The Green point recreational club was a little youth club run by the ministry for environment. It has closed now.
But the Sydney guest house is still operating and during my 60th birthday celebrations all my overseas guests stayed there reasonably comfortably – and cheap I might add!
During my first visit, I stayed at the Sheraton in the city centre. And as it so happens, Mr and Mrs Sheraton tend to charge worldwide applicable prices per night, almost irrespective of where in this world the respective accommodation is offered.
Now let me introduce our house, office, STATUS QUO Kampala headquarter in Masaka Road
there is a little guarde house in front of the entrance
and there is often the Taxi parked, which I use for local transport
and our little veranda, where we often sit in the evening for a drink and a chat
and yes, we are highly computerised
things inside are - well - simple
that's my loo
and that's my bed
For many reasons, cost of accommodation being one of them, I decided that I needed a house in Kampala. It worked out, that the charge for one night at the Sheraton approximately equals 2 months rent for a whole house in Rubaga.
I decided on Kabuusu as a location because it is fairly close to where many of my friends have their own social contacts. And if we want to go shopping, we don’t need to cross through the city, but – passing by Makerere, the University – can go to Lugogo Mall or Garden City, where the two main shopping centres are.
and here are some pictures from the immediate neighbourhood
And in Rubaga – of which Kabuusu is a sector of the suburb – there is the wonderfully named Wankulukuku market, where these days a few of our own shops are located and where I rent a little block of land with a large container on it, which houses two of our businesses.
Johnny is ready to hit the road - and yes, he gets a few comments - flattering or otherwise - for these shoes!!
Here we are, waiting for the local bus on Masaka road
In our western terms, one would probably call Kabuusu a low to middle class suburb, which fits me perfectly. If only we could close down the local disco!! Their noise can be rather penetrant, in particular on weekends.
And I found two very funny places in the immediate neighbourhood which seemed to indicate, that I really belong here
The Green point recreational club was a little youth club run by the ministry for environment. It has closed now.
But the Sydney guest house is still operating and during my 60th birthday celebrations all my overseas guests stayed there reasonably comfortably – and cheap I might add!
A glimpse of Uganda - local markets
The local markets
There is, of course the already mentioned Wankulukuku market which covers a fairly large area and houses hundreds of little businesses but also many private dwellings.
And one of my friends, Figaro, who runs the local barber shop there, is also the Chairman of the market. At times a very challenging position.
Some pics in and around the Wankulukuku market
This is the space in Wankulukuku where our container will soon go up and house two of our small businesses
And there is our little Kabuusu market, just up the road from our house in Masaka Road. Here we tend to buy our fruit and veg for daily use. As well as the eggs and some of the white bread (not very much liked by Jochen)
And it is always a pleasure to come back to this market and being greeted with big smiles by the various stand holders, who, by now, obviously know the old white man patronising their little market twice or three times a year for about 3 weeks.
Visiting Mum in the village – some 50 km outside Kampala, you can see a typical little village market and the people who sell and transport their stuff.
There is, of course the already mentioned Wankulukuku market which covers a fairly large area and houses hundreds of little businesses but also many private dwellings.
And one of my friends, Figaro, who runs the local barber shop there, is also the Chairman of the market. At times a very challenging position.
Some pics in and around the Wankulukuku market
This is the space in Wankulukuku where our container will soon go up and house two of our small businesses
And there is our little Kabuusu market, just up the road from our house in Masaka Road. Here we tend to buy our fruit and veg for daily use. As well as the eggs and some of the white bread (not very much liked by Jochen)
And it is always a pleasure to come back to this market and being greeted with big smiles by the various stand holders, who, by now, obviously know the old white man patronising their little market twice or three times a year for about 3 weeks.
Visiting Mum in the village – some 50 km outside Kampala, you can see a typical little village market and the people who sell and transport their stuff.
A glimpse of Uganda - out to party
Out for a party
One thing has always impressed me in Kampala and that is the amount of care which is given to all forms of clothing.
Just a plain dinner invitation for Grace, our neighbour and her friend
My friends tend to iron their t-shirts each time after a washing. And of course also their pants etc. and shoes tend to be cleaned and polished to almost military standards.
I must admit I have not ironed any of my t-shirts for the last 40 years. And my shoes have probably not seen as much shoe polish in their lifetime as those of my friends are afforded in a month.
One has to mention, though, that around Kampala the air tends to be filled with a light red dust of the fertile soil in and around the city. And after only a few hours moving around, one has acquired a certain layer of red dust everywhere.
Once the good burgers of Kampala prepare for going out, visiting friends or go to a party, in particular the women have a talent and flair to adorn themselves with the most colourful and masterly tailored garments, which would not be out of place at the opening Gala at the Metropolitan Opera or a reception in Buckingham Palace.
These are some pictures taken during my 60th birthday celebration
My dear brother being the darling of the local beauties
It is really wonderful to see the colours and heavy fabrics used in those garments And that obviously also includes a fitting head decoration which is certainly far more than just a hat.
One thing has always impressed me in Kampala and that is the amount of care which is given to all forms of clothing.
Just a plain dinner invitation for Grace, our neighbour and her friend
My friends tend to iron their t-shirts each time after a washing. And of course also their pants etc. and shoes tend to be cleaned and polished to almost military standards.
I must admit I have not ironed any of my t-shirts for the last 40 years. And my shoes have probably not seen as much shoe polish in their lifetime as those of my friends are afforded in a month.
One has to mention, though, that around Kampala the air tends to be filled with a light red dust of the fertile soil in and around the city. And after only a few hours moving around, one has acquired a certain layer of red dust everywhere.
Once the good burgers of Kampala prepare for going out, visiting friends or go to a party, in particular the women have a talent and flair to adorn themselves with the most colourful and masterly tailored garments, which would not be out of place at the opening Gala at the Metropolitan Opera or a reception in Buckingham Palace.
These are some pictures taken during my 60th birthday celebration
My dear brother being the darling of the local beauties
It is really wonderful to see the colours and heavy fabrics used in those garments And that obviously also includes a fitting head decoration which is certainly far more than just a hat.
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