Reliving walk from Kampala to Mbale

I had bought two new pairs each of light, sporting shirts and shorts, shoes (although one pair was enough in the end), vaseline to apply on areas susceptible to friction and sunscreen among other basics.

So, from a readiness perspective, I was set, yet - even with the preparations, there was some nervousness the night before the morning of February 6. But this had to be done. 
Day one
On D-day, I rode with the chief walker, Beyanga, in his car with his wife, Carol, and young daughter Adela Kentare, to the starting point at the Independence Monument outside Sheraton Hotel.
 
After a few encouraging words and calls to Ugandans to be more careful on the road, the time-keeping Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, flagged us off at 6.40am.
The walkers included those that did one day, joined along the way, or attacked the final day's onslaught to Mbale.  
But of the about 30 that set off from Kampala, 20 - including seven ladies and 62-year-old Pastor Micah Rwothumio of University Community Fellowship, Kikoni - proudly made it to the final point at Mbale Post office six days later.
 
And of the 20, at least six walked every step of the approximately 240 kilometres, with everyone of the group pushing through the discomfort and limits to put in significant mileage - every day.
As Beyanga always reminded us, the best way to do it was to just “put your next foot forward.” 
 
As we snaked out of the city, pace setters disappeared out of sight as others made peace with traffic rush, congested roads and complaining bodies. 
 
We battled for space with taxis and boda bodas, who could stop anywhere and at any time, private cars, break-neck speeding government vehicles and heavy load trucks.
Meanwhile, Beyanga, or Joe Walker as most know him now - draped in a Ugandan flag while waving another, could not keep up with pace setters as he had duties of engaging the road side communities. 
Fortunately, I had some young, vibrant boys for company upfront, and the next time we saw our friends was at a breakfast stop in Mukono Town, where my colleague George Katongole was on hand to offer support.  
I later came to learn from Beyanga that as we approached Mukono Town, two of us had given in to the demanding conditions and were seen on boda bodas back to Kampala. They did their part. From Mukono, we braved the scorching sun for about 12 kilometres to our lunch station at Namawojjolo. The skies did briefly open after Mbalala but we braved on until Namataba for the night.
 
Day two

From our hotel in Namataba to Jinja, which includes the taunting Mabira Forest, 45 kilometres looked demanding. By 6am we were on the road. 
Our first stop was at Bannz Cafe in Namagunga for a cup of tea to warm us up. 
But when we stopped again for another quick bite just before entering Lugazi Town, I just told Mark Peter Ssegirinya, who alongside Sarah Nalule, Elizabeth Kisakye and our service van driver Oscar Ssemwanga formed the best support team you could ever get, that I was not stopping. 

“You guys have your meal, I’m good, My phone is on, let’s keep in touch.” I attacked Lugazi Town with verve. Both my body and spirit were in full cooperation. 
Plus, our amazing service team would be keeping tabs with water supplies, apples, bananas, glucose and ORS.  
They seemed to always be there when you needed them, and that is on top of securing our accommodation well ahead of time. So, although solo on this stretch, I knew they would look out for me. 

Meanwhile, I was so looking forward to Mabira Forest. Before I entered it, I bought four gonjas (banana plantain), just in case! I still had one and a half-full Rwenzori mineral water bottles. 
Within a few minutes I had walked Mabira. Or so I thought! Yet, that small stretch of forest cover was just an introduction to the greater Mabira. When the real Mabira emerged, it enveloped me for over 10 kilometres. 
Towards its end, a team member and office colleague, Boaz Bakobereki, who was battling blisters, was dropped next to me by the service van. 
"It's tough but I'm pushing on," Bakobereki assured me, painful discomfort visible in his steps.
I don’t know if this was a ploy to protect me by slowing me down or not. 
 
When we finally got out of Mabira, it’s like I had walked there for two weeks. Everyone of my colleagues told a similar tale of Mabira. 
The service van got ahead of us carrying some colleagues that needed help and pitched a stretching and resting camp.  
I left Bakobereki with them and sped off again. We met again outside Jinja where - as a team - we walked the remaining kilometres to the city - led by the district boy scouts and Tugende Boda Boda riders. 
A sumptuous dinner at Stabex’s Sta Café in Jinja, courtesy of Beyanga’s good friend Paul Harera, who paid the bill for us all, was the perfect reward for the day’s shift. 

Day three

The journey from Jinja to Iganga started an hour late, 11.30 to be precise, because of morning activities including a visit to Jinja SS to speak to students, a conversation with taxi drivers in the park, as well as painting a zebra crossing on Main Street. 
This Jinja-Iganga stretch was the most draining because of narrow and unmarked roads, endless heavy trucks, carelessly speeding taxis and private cars, plus boda bodas. 
 
Legs had also started giving way for most of the team members.
I developed a mild headache towards Iganga because of delayed emptying of the bowel but two panadols charged me forward. I completed the remaining kilometres alongside my teammates Sam Mujuni, who also soldiered on with a bloated stomach.
"All I wanted was to reach our hotel," said Mujuni, who indeed went missing on a relieving mission once we checked in at Hotel Continental in Iganga. 
Young Billy Kamoomo and Tevin Aruho, Beyanga's nephews; resilient Nickson Namanya, who overcame an injury adversity after another, and steady Richard Kyomuhendo tagged along, with Joel Mwesigwa passionately capturing our every move through his camera lense. The last walkers arrived at the hotel at 8.30pm.  
Day four

At this point, half the distance covered, discussions were punctuated by tired legs and blisters.  
For the first time, all of us were not present at the agreed meeting time for breakfast and take-off at 6.30am. 
We eventually assembled, ate and departed - 45 minutes late. We strolled out of Iganga town and at the signage to Bugiri head-on and Mbale to the left, we took turns taking quick pictures. 
 
We then descended on Tirinyi-Mbale Highway, taking in the newly completed road. 
It has the best driving surface and unlike many other roads we had walked on, the markings are clear. We felt safe on it, although careless driving never ceased. 
Lorna Marriet Mirembe, a representative of one of several road safety partners on the walk, struggled in the first three days.
But her resilience from the fourth day was admirable, pacing herself and often resisting attempts to board the service van, which she had already visited. 
"I kept going because I am not a quitter, she said after docking in Mbale.
 "I didn’t want to wait for when I have lost someone to a road crash to exhibit my passion for road safety."
The weather was good the first part of the day, a pattern that generally continued up to Namutamba, where we rested for the night, with some of the most interesting lodging you will find.  
Tough days five and six

The above days were unlike the first four, which either had a drizzle or a gentle cloud cover. 
Tirinyi-Budaka-Kamonkoli to Mbale was a sun’s fury made to make us pay for the first four-day favourable weather. 
"If your walking group left you by 10 metres, you were done," warned Beyanga,  "You either had to call them to wait for you or simply wait for the group behind you."
But even in this extreme heat, walker Blair Nuwagaba's golden heart still shone through as he removed his shoes and handed them over to a young, barefooted school-going girl.
"I looked at this girl on the hot tarmac and it was too much for me," said Nuwagaba, who walked the remaining distance barefoot until he got another pair from our next stretching stop. 
Having walked to Bushenyi previously, Beyanga tried to manage the group, ensuring everyone was okay by taking their water, regulating the pace and ensuring no one was left to walk alone behind the main group.  
For some reason, despite the harsh weather, I always felt I needed to test how much hardship my body could take. So often, I would struggle between staying with the rest or tearing away. 
 
The former slightly edged it, but adrenaline would soon take over. At this point almost everyone had some form of injury, with a number settling for the service van for some distances and later emerging re-energised. 
Our support squad had also become a mobile medical team - administering first aid, giving massages to keep the muscles alive or simply ensuring a constant supply of refreshments. 
Some members suffered from sleep-walking but because we kept a close eye on each other, we noticed that and had to immediately take a timeout under the next tree shade to allow the body rest and build energy levels again. 

We slept in Budaka, where friends Daniel Joloba and Ethan Musolini joined us for the final onslaught on Mbale on Saturday morning.  
Beyanga's sweetheart, girlfriend, best friend and wife - Carol - also provided the perfect tonic when joined the trail just before Kamonkoli. 
"I was surrounded by enough love and support the heat and blisters had nothing on me," declared Beyanga. 
For this final day - the hottest, I had an invincible in Beyanga’s baby sister Lucky Ninsiima, with whom we literally flew to Mbale. 
It was us, then someday-light, and then the rest of the superstars including Beyanga and his boys, the girls - Mirembe, Dorcus Magoba, Dorothy Kanyunyuzi and Dinah Namulindwa among others. 
"I'm fine, I'm good," Ninsiima kept assuring me when I worried whether she was still up to the pace, "I trained well using Joe's program." 
As we entered Kamonkoli, Sunday Monitor columnist Tom Gawaya Tegulle, who had promised to welcome us into his area code, was on hand to receive us.  
If you saw the way he treated us you’d think he owned both the hotel and town, ensuring everyone was comfortable, had the right drink, and was refreshed enough for the final assault on Mbale.

Welcome to Mbale

Our arrival in Mbale saw us encounter another team led by veteran journalist Robert Kabushenga and tour-entrepreneur Amos Wekesa returning from hiking Mount Elgon. 
A Kadodi dance ensued. Later we spoke to boda boda riders and completed our walk with pictures at Mbale Post Office. 
According to Nalule, the Joe Walker team manager, “issues raised from the community will be presented to policy and lawmakers so that they are addressed.” They ought to!