A TOUR OF SADNESS

It was a 2hrs journey defined from Kampala passing through the then battle fields of  Luwero to Nakasongola. With the road consisting of mostly heavy cars, it continues upto Uganda-South Sudan border.  I stopped at Nakasongola. 

Sun rays containing high degrees of heat capacity strike the green environment of the area making it turn into goldish and easier to burn incase need arises. 

Dispersed houses decorate the area and it's never easy to reach the neighbourhood if escaping from danger. Neighbours are not in a stone's throw. 

As people were busy celebrating boxing day, Mzee Sali Herbert was breathing his last. He was a father to my friend Ms.Robina the proprietor of House of Health Medical Centre. Mzee was struggling with both diabetes and cancer. 

28th/Dec got me prepared to attend the  burial ceremony at Nakasongola district where the deceased had his home. It was sorrow and grieve on the side of friends and relatives. 

At exactly 11am, 11 in number, we set off for the journey. We passed via areas of kasubi, kawala and Bwaise. Through those regions you can easily tell whether Kampala is a capital or a rural area.

The houses are not in good condition and reaching Kazo it was worse. The football pitch had no grass at all apart from dust. It was surrounded with sand trucks on either side. 

We proceeded to areas of Kawempe, kagoma, kawanda and Matuga. I don't know why most towns in that region start with "K". But just know that those are rural-urban areas. 

From Matuga we joined Bombo town. Bombo is mostly comprised of Banubbi tribe who originated from Northern Uganda during the 1970s.

I noticed no serious farming in Luwero apart from growing  pineapples in plenty plus maize.  Pine trees are also planted largely  but to a few who have money and land.

Finally we arrived in Nakasongola where the burial ceremony was. Getting out of the car, the first thing was to look for Ms.Robina and comfort her. She was happy to see us and words of wisdom where shared among us. 

Mzee Sali was made to rest at 3:49pm, we got back to our cars and embarked on a journey to Kampala. I can't forget roasted meat we crushed on our way back home. I still pray for Ms.Robina to be more strong than she was before the leaving of Mzee Sali. 


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FROM THE WORDS; Of Ashaba Hamdan

I first met Ashaba three years back at Mbogo Mixed during our high school times. He was a boy of class I recall.

26/12/016, Ashaba  tagged me in a Facebook post and let me take this opportunity to share  the good message with you.

Words of Ashaba 


This message goes out to all boys who are in the same age bracket as mine ie 22 to 29 years.it will try to show u reality abt the life we are abt to start living

ie if u are still at the university or if u have completed. Pliz guys let's put aside good expectations and face reality, let's stop showing off with the little we have and work hard to achieve much coz life is a hard nut to crack

Let's pray always and avoid showoffs, competition, selfishness and work harder. Life is not easy. Best of luck to who ever read as this.

The most difficult age for any man should be between 22 and 29 years, the pressure to be something, to be someone is so immense.

 When you look around you, everyone seems to be doing something for themselves, people seem to be living a life you only dream of.
 You have applied for jobs and the results have been more disappointing than Ugandans' hope for another President!

 Sadly this is the age when most guys lose it, the age when if not careful one is consumed by alcohol, drugs or gambling [betting], because the disappointments become too much and you endup finding alternative ways to face reality.

 Worse is when a few people you studied with have been lucky enough to land jobs, soon your circle of friends gets thinner - mostly they don’t even cut you out but you be real with yourself and cut yourself off.

 I mean what will u do when you are in a WhatsApp group of friends discussing about last week’s trip in Zanzibar and planning another road trip to Kigali and "beach ting dis" while you are not sure of what your next meal would be? [that's if you don't wait from mama's Kitchen]

 Most times you follow the conversation silently, all alone like a cross on the grave. Soon you realize this is no longer your kind of crowd because the more you keep around, the more the pressure to be something takes a toll on you.

 You know when stories about house parties come up and you act deaf because you don’t know where an extra 5 guys would fit in your house.

Have you ever sat in a group of people discussing the new iPhone on the market or how British Airways offers shit services and you can feel your heart whisper to you “boss this is chest pain hour, can we just go and find a group that
 talks about boda boda“.

But you sit there as these people are lost in their lifestyle conversations, you are like a secretary taking minutes in meeting..

Once in a while one of the friends will turn and ask if you need another drink and you wonder if you should just say No and head home, but head home to what? So you grudgingly drop in the “I will have just one last one“ Lie.

 But after a few years of job hunting, you are now ready to take anything even if is to smell a rich man’s farts as long as it pays , so you end up as an office messenger in one blue chip company in town.

To imagine that 4 years of studying and getting a degree is now reduced to picking and dropping off letters and if you are not doing that, you are being sent for cheap lunch by the employees when they are broke and they can’t order with hello food.

 This is when conversations about where people schooled start, you go silent for it’s no longer of any use to say you also reached University, and In fact, the Prestigious Makerere [Now closed of course]

~it doesn’t matter – you have resorted to surviving.Once in while you will bump into your now well to do classmates they would offer you lunch, but not even eating the meals at caffesserie will make you feel better about yourself, because in your mind you wish instead they would give you the 20k and you sort your meals for the next 5 days.

 As it is the norm you will have photos taken, and uploaded on Facebook, but always it’s your face that would look odd one out – not even the best filters can hide a face which has borne the city dust and survives on boiled beans.

 The worst mistake you can do during this period is to try and date – there is nothing that a person going through such times can offer in te..................

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SENDING MESSAGE; To all the ladies

"This one's for you and me, living out our dreams,We're all right where we should be,with my arms out wide,I open my eyes.And now all I want see Is a sky full of lighters" words of Bruno Mars.

In my country the pearl of Africa, a week can hardly go without some lady's nude photos being exposed to public.  It is usually via social media, so it's like a game now.

In another context, it's done willingly by the lady in the name of popularity. No more shame,fear and they take the act as a tool to achieve great in life.

In my country, social media has become a platform where obscenity begins yet it wasn't the aim of the developers.

In the many whatsapp groups, the nude photos of our sisters spread like wild fire from one group to another, which is very bad.

They say "educate a girl and she educates a nation" So how are we going to build a strong nation if all our sisters have gone nude. My sisters you have changed from the good girls to untrusted humans.

Becoming popular through satanic ways doesn't last for long. But a name made out of good will and faith can never tarnish.

Exposing your hidden parts to the public is never the way to that life your dreaming of. Let's not become shameless due to the urge for this worldly life.

Let them not describe you by evil actions. Be the best and try to protect that expensive gown that God gave to you. I mean the gown called "mother"

Don't give him chance to cover your naked body on camera because in the times of separation, he will expose everything on you.

To the men

We are produced by girls but why are we spoilt and killed by girls. We are supposed to protect their rights not to violate them.

In any disturbing situation, let's not use their bodies as a weapon. Let's take them as our mothers and true they resemble our mothers. Let's not expose them, #protectmothers.

HATED; Foreign Petty Traders in Kampala

Ugandans think foreigners are not entitled to such businesses

He looked stressed and worried, the eyes had turned red while nodding his head in grieve. Sitting in a black chair, dressed in a pair of black jeans plus a blue shirt covering the top.

Mark, as he preferred to be called, is a graphics designer at Equatorial shopping mall in the  capital of Uganda. Mark is in medium if you relate it to height, black but not much, very good in dressing expensively and many girls yearn for such guys. 

"Am not happy with the way those indians are doing. They offer services at very cheap prices to customers making them to not access our businesses for services, yet we also pay rent and licence" He reacted to my question concerning his sadness. 

Many traders in Kampala city have complained about the same issue for so long. They thought foreigners had to deal in very big investments not owning wholesale and retail shops like Ugandans. 

Most of the involved parties are indians and Chinese.  They own small businesses hence given tax free holidays in the name of investors. They end up selling at cheaper prices to Ugandans. 

Mr J.Ssekamwa a lecturer at Nkumba university says,"these Chinese are given products from producing companies in their country at no costs. So they sell at low costs since they are given a long period to pay back for the products. "

Ugandan legislators went ahead to sanction the minister for Trade and Industry on why these foreigners deal in petty businesses yet they are licenced to carry out heavy investments that benefit Ugandans. 

Hon. Kyambadde the minister for trade said: "I'm not against closing these petty Chinese business, my request was to extend the closure to 31st December " she went on to say"Most of these Chinese traders, their businesses were registered in Ugandan names & this is a very big challenge"

 Hon. Kyambadde also confirmed that they have ever carried out a verification process and  over 1800 illegal Chinese traders were deported. 

The issue is now left pending in the hands of the minister but hurting more Ugandans especially those operating from buildings of high rent.

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#BestStartInLife; the album

#BestStartInLife is a project that was launched by UNICEFUganda under United Nations. Many companies have joined the struggle with an aim of grooming up Ugandan children in the best way possible. Media companies like NBS TV, N TV, Capital fm, New Vision and many more.

Below are the project events in pictures; -
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SMILING AT COMPETITION

When things go vice versa

I can tell what's running in your mind, knowing how to smile at competition has confused you. He he he, I do it whenever things run vice versa on my way. We don't fight competitors but the best way is to use them at your advantage. How??

9:42am on a sunday, holding my blue sweater as usual, feet hidden in brown flats, stepped out with a convincing smile which is usually pulled into play when things go vice versa. An agreement to meet Hassan at mengo was already activated.

15 minutes to reach mengo while using Bodaboda. Much credit given to those bodamen for the great work of keeping us on time. Mengo is a kampala suburb, I can't estimate the population but it's highly populated.

Mengo is an area comprised of different language speaking groups. They include somalis, Banubi and swahili people. Mengo's anticipation of hygiene sets it at a risk of diseases due to over population.

So my friend Hassan owns a grocery shop situated in the area. Within a stone's throw on his left, lies a shop for Mzee Amos who also deals almost in the same merchandise like that of Hassan.

Mzee Amos is a brown man from Ankole region, God gifted him with enough money and he also carries out poultry farming at Bulenga in Wakiso district. Mzee Amos collects 10 trays of eggs weekly which are brought to mengo for sale.

"Shakilu Man the Mzee in the corner wants to kick me out of the eggs business. He sells eggs at 300/= each yet me I sell at 400/= each" said Hassan.

He went on to link the act on Mzee's poultry farm that supplies him with eggs at no cost. Hassan sells atray of eggs at $4 whereas Mzee sells at $3, creating a gap of #1 which is too much for the country men.

After thinking for a while, I derived a plan for Hassan to stay ahead of the competition without hurting Mzee Amos.  Meaning both were to benefit.

Since Mzee was selling a tray at a whole price, I asked Hassan to promptly buy all Mzee's eggs the moment he brings them. I advised Hassan to do it indirectly through someone else not known to Mzee.

Hassan followed my advice, now he is the only one In the area selling eggs and for Mzee, he is the happiest man because he has a potential customer who buys all the trays at once.

Indirectly Mzee was out-competed unknowingly. So that's what I meant with smiling at competition. We lead by our brains not by actions. Many things can be done with simplicity limiting enemity.

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TELLING A STORY; On our very own,2

Betrayed; the turn up was too low bridging a gap from  Daniel's expectations. Many promised to attend but never fulfilled. Adverts via Facebook and WhatsApp groups were infinite yet all the advertisers kicked him down. Daniel deleted numbers of the so called friends as he battled with debts. His very own denied him support.

Daniel also known as "JJ", was a S4 candidate at Old Kampala SS in the year 2016. Old Kampala SS is located within Kampala the capital. It is a mixed sex school and owned by the Uganda government. 

Many citizens have gone through the school and trust me it's one of the best. So JJ was among the many candidates hailing from that historical school. And am sure it was one of the first schools on the  Buganda land.

From childhood, JJ was very much interested in music, dance and drama. So his dream was to be an events organiser like Balam and the owner of KT.Promotions. So he was ever part of the party organisers at school. 

So JJ decided to organise an event for the OBs and OGs. He hoped the event to mark as a step towards his journey of events organising. Being popular, JJ saw no difficult in driving the students' minds to focus on the event. 

The venue was set and he agreed to organise  from "Hot Spice" an entertainment centre at Kabusu a Kampala suburb. So the fee was only $2 for every student. Many alleged support to JJ.

Ositi a friend, worked so hard to mobilise and persuade the rest so that they make it in crowds. JJ had invited two upcoming artists but had good music compared to the still crawling singers.

The day was Saturday which later turned into a black day. Only six girls and twelve boys attended. Ositi the great mobiliser was nowhere to be seen, many turned him down.

"People are difficult i wish i knew" said JJ while grieving. The poor man landed in debts, the venue owners wanted money plus the artists and on top of that he had even hired sound machines from some company. 

His very own never supported him yet they used to show support before the event. JJ hustled with the situation until he was left with no coin in the pockets. Our very own don't want us to achieve great in life. JJ can tell better. more information

IN HER PHONE; I was saved as "idiot"

As hot as Uganda, it's the everyday song of Ugandans. May be it's the beginning of drought in the pearl of Africa. 8am, already at TakenCorporation listening to slow music as I plan for the day.

Yesterday Aloysious had made it clear that by noon I should call him so that he avails me with the new software good for photo editing.  So I was eager to receive it.

9:47am,abruptly Ninah appeared at my workplace yet she wasn't on the list of people I expected to meet on that hot Wednesday. But nothing I could do since she was the one I had selected out of the many.

I don't know why am more interested in these girls coming from Rwanda. Ninah is a goddess for sure. Having a chocolate brown face, she is a bit thick but pleasing. There is no way I can well explain how beautiful Ninah is.

So she helped me with some work as she informed me about her multi-birthday party that was to come soon. But Ninah denied me access to the party claiming the presence of her parents. I never insisted, agreed to contribute some.

12:23am I started calling Aloysious to remind him. The phone couldn't go through for a couple of times. Checking the account balance, almost more than enough. 

Within the same time frame, Ninah went out to meet a friend leaving her phone on the table. So I decided to try calling her number and get the real problem with my phone. 

Hair got off my head as the call went through, Ninah's phone displayed "idiot" as the name of the caller. Immediately my heart accessed abnormal impulse.  I got a camera and snapped the phone as it was still ringing. 

Ninah returned and I ptetended everything was cool and ok. She asked why I called and a clear explanation was presented to her satisfaction. 

3days after the birthday party happened and my sources told me there was some other guy but not her parents. I funded the most on that party but in the name of charity. I was good at providing everything that Ninah wanted.

I came to know that I was the bank she accessed  whenever in need. I stopped picking her calls and neglecting all the texts including those from WhatsApp. Finally she made it to my place, I told her it was over and she abused me earth and heaven, mixing languages for the heavy words to carry hidden meaning. 

Up to now Ninah left for good and now am saving huge sums of money. So she was another problem to my pocket. 


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