Rebel in a Bubble

Reflections of a Ugandan labourer. Working in Uganda is like being a teenager, in Uganda.   I’ve been a working Ugandan for about four years now, and the things I’ve met make me wonder if I really want to stay here and work here. First, I’ve met the Ugandan colleagues and bosses, who have absolutely no respect for time, or for quality delivery. On my first job, one of my bosses accused me of being too strict. She said, “You can’t come here thinking the ideals you studied in school will be achieved. This is reality, and people don’t always do what they’re supposed to do. Learn to live with it.” I was fresh from university, and many people said I needed a few years and I would be like everybody else, and abandon my impatience with slow paces, and join the clique. It’s been four years now, I still don’t understand why we agree to do one thing in a given time frame, and then take our time to reach there. Nobody cares, you see, as long as something is done, in the end. This is ...

Nze mwana,  gwe,  gwolinyako Atunda kalonda yena Nze alondalonda ebyuma ku kkubo-  nembitunda Nga nsubbira olunaku lulikya nokiraba Mbu nange ngezezako Naye notakikola Nze mukazi atoba n'abaana kumi na babiri Omuddu,  omukomba bokisi Era nga nze mukazi awaka Nga nindirira ongambe mbu nawe,  okiraba sibyangu Oba nti otegeera okwewayo kwange Naye notakilola Nze musajja akeera mu mambya Nenkomawo mu matumbi g'ekiro Nga nfuba nyo okulabirira gwe n'abaana bo Okukakana Nga ogenze nga simanyi na kyenteganira Nga nsubira osanga onategeera obulumi bwange Naye notakilola Kati ngenda kuva wano Ngende eyo gyebatammanyi Nziruke embiro paka lwendisanga ewaka Awaka wenin'okubeera Obulumi bwange gyebuligabanibwa Eyo ebimuli gyebiyimbira Abawala gyebazanyira mu nkuba Kati ngenda kuva wano Ngende eyo gyebatammanyi Ekifo gyebanankubira engalo It's not because I think I'm better than you- no Not because I think that I deserve more Oh no It's just...

Riding Bodas in ‘outside countries’ Recently when a friend of mine learnt that I was spending a night in Juba waiting for my connecting flight, he said we cannot fail to meet, for it is unforgivable to not meet fellow Ugandans when one is in ‘outside countries’. I laughed so hard but somehow I actually knew exactly what he meant. There is something so special about meeting a human piece of home when one is away, even if it is as close by as south Sudan. This reminded me of a boy I met on that fateful journey. Angel and I had decided to just sit and watch people as we waited for the police to check our bus and it was taking longer than we had anticipated. Then we met him, and he told us his name was Robert Ndahura. He looked reserved, but when he greeted me and stood next to me, I thought he was rather interesting. Angel and I later sat next to him when we moved closer to the bus, hoping they would notice how impatient we had grown and finish whatever was delaying the set off...