Wait the day the Italians and Turkish set up here. Then you will realise the lie that was Turkish shirts and Italian suits. You see, someone once told me that you are never poor, you are just participating in the wrong market.
I have given up on promising follow-up episodes. I do not think it is a Ugandan thing. Your PAM Awards tried; it also gave up. Then came those music video awards, and boom they gave up. There was that famous Kampala Marathon, it also gave up. You see, who am I not to follow suit? Except that I have better reasons.DM bodytext: My plan was to talk about the other factors of production that your school did not teach you. They taught you like three of them; land, capital and labour. But people, you think that is all it takes to produce things and achieve middle income? No way. There are other factors. Things such as high trust.
And that is why I needed to continue my Kasese story. Kasese people are among the most trustworthy people in this cow-ntry. The Og-horn dude keeps using that word for country, I am picking on it. See, I was in Fort Portal and I was shocked the people there who are now moving at the bukodyo of Kampala people. The boda guy will charge you twice the moment they realise you are from Kampala. Most places in Uganda have a charge for ‘foreign’ chaps. In Kampala, if you do not speak Luganda, expect that things will be twice as expensive.
But not for Kasese people. There is something about the Bakonjo. When we got to Kasese, we lacked quick means of running errands, getting to the hotel and then rushing off to Nyakalengija for the Rwenzori mountains hike. We settled for a boda boda. Two people shared a boda boda, it took us all around town then we asked it to drive us about 20 kilometres away to Nyakalengija. It is here that the gates to Mt Rwenzori National Park open. Can you believe the guy charged us a mere 20K for one of the hardest journeys on a bike. At some point, I could hear his bike engine stammer. We felt so sorry for him, we were compelled to add him a ka-10K. He almost refused it.
When we exited the mountain, again, the officers were so helpful in getting us free transportation back to the town. Wherever I stayed, I was treated as a full local, no extra charge for being foreign. You only get this experience in Kabale and Kasese. Just straightforward and honest chaps. In times when we worship the money-god, we must also start to worship things such as high trust.
Then comes Town Ya Mu-China. I knew 2024 had a big surprise coming. Ugandans have been over-charged for quite some time that they cannot believe the prices in that ka-town. Mbu even boda guys now tell their women mbu; “Ebintu mbigula China.”
People, it is the same things you always bought; you were just always over-charged. Wait the day the Italians and Turkish set up here. Then you will realise the lie that was Turkish shirts and Italian suits. You see, someone once told me that you are never poor, you are just participating in the wrong market.
Now we need something that is disruptive when it comes to financial services in Uganda. The whole industry has decided to do a collabo and squeeze us out on charges. Basically, they are saying, anything you say or do will be charged. Like you have to pay money because you have some money. China, can you hear our cries? Oba we just create some barter trade platform. But what will the people of Najjera sell? Dust?
Garbage has also become garbage. This week, another surprise. The waste collection company says it is raising monthly collection fees. Mbu the transport costs have increased. Now, I tried to play intellectual and ask for a rationale. Why can’t they charge me per kilogramme collected? Why just a flat fee? But I chose to be a good Ugandan. A good Ugandan does not rattle the system. A good Ugandan first seeks what the majority is saying then supports that. A good Ugandan does not question. A good Ugandan grows to justify their suffering. Mbu there is a purpose to it. Mbu the evil people in her life taught her something. No way, they taught you nothing Chakra and Aura baby, they just destroyed you. They traumatised you. You think you learned anything from growing up in a society where you have to lock everything and watch your back.
Now on a more serious note, I am proposing that we pick a day as Ugandans. We shall call this the National Forgiveness and Amnesty Day aka NAFADA. On this day, okay it reads like ‘I died already’ but on this day, we shall all come out in the open and forgive ourselves. Like those that stole husbands and wives will keep them, those that are sidos will declare, the deal makers will also declare. Because the wonders that Ugandans perform on their small salaries are amazing. We only have one option but to declare that we have all sinned and fallen short of Gaad’s glory. On this day, we can all declare our true sources of capital. Then we can open a fresh page. It will be our equivalent of a recreation day.
On a grave note, my little sister reminded me that my Ugandan membership expires in November. I told her, I will not renew membership. Let that National ID deal with itself. Going forward, I will identify as a French man. Moi Je m’appelle Ortega, J’habite a Paris de Wakiso.
@orteagatalks
