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Why Naalya could be the place that saves Kampala?
What you need to know:
- But lest I forget, that today, I had come to announce the formation of my social party. Since the elites cannot do better beyond brunches, quiz nights and Karaoke nights, I will be launching my salons. See, not your hair salon, but an intellectual salon. Except that my social party is going to be made up of a different stratum of society.
Naalya is a suburb of many stories. It’s a blend of everything that is possible in this country. It speaks many languages, languages of self-expression, of freedom, of creation, of all possibilities. A random person in Naalya could be a poet, an engineer, the greatest scientist in this country, or even just the man next door.
Of course, I am spilling some secrets of Naalya. But if you think of Naalya, you could think of a marriage between Vienna and Paris. That’s the culture of Naalya. Of course, people often ask; ‘but what is there to think of Naalya? What’s so much about this place that doesn’t seem to have much?’ That my friend is the mystery of Naalya, you must be open to the mysteries of this place.
Because you see, whatever you seek in Naalya, you will always find. Yet, the richest in Naalya live like an ordinary person. The top investment banker in Naalya, you could find them walking around in some ragged attire. Naalya gives this sense of quiet luxury. And Kampala my friends could learn from Naalya.
Charlene once sang; “I have been undressed by Kings and I have seen things a woman ain’t posed to see. I have been to Paradise, but I have never been to me.”
Kampala must be a Charlene, a city that’s never been to itself. On the contrary, that Naalya has been to itself. Why, because Naalya has a meritocracy and an equity. No one is seeking status down in this place. People are here just to connect, to be something, to dream, to create. And look, forget Naalya the estate. You see, Naalya the estate could mislead you. Think of Naalya proper, Naalya beyond the estate. That’s the real Naalya. The estate is just a ka-plastic place.
So now friends, the thing with Kampala is it’s deficient in both philosophers and poets. If you sought Dante, Kampala is the ninth circle of Hell. You see my good friends; Dante thought the worst hell was frozen. Nothing harms like the cold. You rather die of a heat wave than an ice burn. Because when things are frozen, it’s the worst state.
Kampala is frozen people, frozen at some point in time. That city won’t be redeemed. It can only be saved through jewels like Naalya. And speaking of hell, Kiteezi? What was that? See, Kampala is descending into a nihilism. And people are willing to grab onto anything to make sense of this place. But Kiteezi, that must have been the peak of this country, but then, when people have been locked into a nihilism, that’s the worst point people. Only Nietzsche can redeem these times. And only Naalya, let me say once again, could redeem Kampala.
But lest I forget, that today, I had come to announce the formation of my social party. Since the elites cannot do better beyond brunches, quiz nights and Karaoke nights, I will be launching my salons. See, not your hair salon, but an intellectual salon. Except that my social party is going to be made up of a different stratum of society.
See, I want to deal with the people that actually run this country. There’s you chap that makes the presentations and speaks to the media, but there’s the people that sustain this country. And these people that are going to form my ka social party know all the secrets of this country.
My social party (please note people, it’s social not political party), will have the drivers and the house maids. My social party will have the Kadamas. But I keep wondering, are those Tororo people the most hardworking people? My social party will have the secretaries, the tea girls, it will have the people without ranks.
My social party will have the plumbers, the rolex guy, the Mama Kaduuka. It will have all those people that Joel Mukisa would rather represent as the sub-altern. Again, think of the farmer in Mpigi, think of the schoolteacher in Kaberamaido, think of your askari at home, think of the Kanaabes. It will be the greatest social party of all times.
Then we can produce serious ideas, serious music, we shall give Hemmingway a run for his money. We shall reinvent comedy in this country, and we shall create our cultural revolution. Because you see, my social party is the one that does the work. You know that guy that helps you remove nails from your car tyres? Those are the people in my social party. Those chaps that sort your garbage in Kiteezi, the many lives that we lost. My party will finally give them a home.
Now you say people, what will be my BATNA? See the people in my party hold the secrets of this country. You can fight for your intellectual spots, whereas my social party gets down to transforming things.
My social party will produce the Ugandan Ubermensch. It will be a party of many languages, one modelled on a Reggio Emilia classroom, it will be a party of many songs, but it will be a party of many expressions. That party of mine is the only thing that can redeem Uganda! Forget all your other theories!
Twitter: ortegatalks
