In Defence of Ssegirinya

This is how it started: In 2016, your MP bought an ambulance for his constituency; why didn't he legislate so that government provides ambulances to all Ugandans, does the senior MP know his role or he is like Ssegirinya?

In Petals of Blood, one of the best novels written by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, young Joseph was badly sick, hungry and in dire need of medication or at least, food. When the caretakers went to Reverend Jeremy Brown’s house for help; the man of God offered prayers and without giving the sick child food, reminded the entourage that man does not live by bread alone; but every word which comes from the Lord. I quote, “the Revered holy bastard could only offer us the food of spirit”.

A nurse stands besides Ssegirinya's ambulance.

When I see an online campaign from selfish people criticizing Hon Muhammad Ssegirinya for lending a hand to his people; setting up a health centre, distributing food to those in lockdown, purchasing ambulances and mobilising them through small scale business ventures, I marvel at the sort of resemblance with the above scenario.

In a lockdown, many people, especially in the city are desperate; they are hungry, they need food now, now and Ssegirinya is trying to help out. Our hospitals lack basic equipment and people are dying when they would not have died. Then you find an idle mind thinking that Ssegirinya is doing wrong?

The thinking by elites that legislation will be the solution to help a person who is hungry because their businesses are locked down in effort to curb the spread of Corona should try to evaporate by putting in context that even if we put to use our entire budget, it would still need donations to save the situation. Let us be real; we should not cloud our brains with fear and hate but rather hope and goodwill.

If Ssegirinya is doing a lot that your MP has not done, move to Kawempe North or else, shut up!

A Rallying Call to Patriotism

There is this good feeling you get after doing something so great for your nation.

Author's workstation

I am not talking about sports or those other prized arts; I don't mean launching a war that kills hundreds of thousands before liberation is attained or the pride of raising our flag on foreign soil.

I mean something as simple as putting up a small restaurant and you employ 5 people or a Carpentry shop or any cottage entity that adds a drop of rain in the big desert of unemployment and thus, you contribute taxes for national development.

It is that feeling that we should inculcate in our generation, a call to a patriot, an inward urge to act, knowing that one apiece is what will make our nation a great state; one that we shall be proud to hand over to the next generation.

Talking of handover in regard to work and service; when you see an elderly man hold on to the mantle and say he feels he can serve some more years, then it is either because she/he has failed to deliver during his tenure and thinks that he can make it up or he has done things so bad that he wants to cover up and jeopardise the transition from handover to takeover.

In that case, he will have someone else to bl
ame!

God bless Uganda.

When Uganda attains First World Status

I wrote this post on July 23, 2015 and shared it on my Facebook page; it was triggered by the news that Mubarak had died from Sudan. A da later, we learnt that Mubarak was actually alive and he, himself had made that stunt so as to extract money from his relatives in form of condolence and funeral arrangements.

When Uganda finally attains first world status, I would like to be there but not alone.

Author with colleagues at a pool table

It came as a shock when they told me that Mubarak has died, an
agemate with whom we grew, fought, shared, cared and schooled.

As we grew, academics started sorting out the weak and for Mubarak, I left him classes back. However he completed school before me not with a bachelors but a P.5 report card.

He would soon make a name beyond our small village as a petty thief that grew up to become a master of cons. But Mubarak should not have died because we laughed and cried together; we had big dreams and plans for the future but he stifled his by dedicating all his time to seeking for money at all costs.

Then Sudan came calling and off he went. The war that broke out in 2013 scared many back but Mubarak stayed and he became part of it.

In February 2016, Mubarak nearly landed me in trouble but thankfully my financial background and education in money laundering came to my rescue. Someone else fall into the trap and Mubarak survived as the hero of the story.

As we awaited when he would return to answer for that heinous crime. Duh, the news came that Mubarak has died. Why, when where I don't know but I have a feeling he should not have died before explaining why he always landed other people in trouble, why his parents had to sell off land to save him from prison in Sudan, why he set a trap and landed Barbra in a trap of 2.5 million but most of all why Mubarak stole the only chicken that I received as a gift after circumcision.

You may not rest in peace Mubarak!

Once upon a time in July

I wanted to publish this article yesterday but I could not confirm that we are in July, I had to give it another day. We are living in unprecedented times. You may have walked 5 days of the month and then suddenly something happens and the month is reversed.

But I can now confirm that we are in July, the first month in the second half of another wasted year of 2021. July is the longest month of the year, literally it feels like July has around 40 days, 8 weeks and very many hours.

The month of July in Bugisu used to be the month of harvesting, likyesa. It is a month when persons like Nekesa and Wekesa were born. But not anymore, I think. Some people now take on their parents' names and thus you will find a Wekesa born in January and a Nakhumitsa born in December.

Anyway, even the word itself has evolved. Khukyesa is now only used in relation to the millet, which millet growing is also waning. The language in general is evolving and we have adapted the Luganda word of Okukungula. In place of Khukyesa, we are now putting khukhungula.

50 years from now, you will need to explain the meaning of your names to your children, but shall we be knowing them. If it was not for my namesake Mr Wabuyi William, I would be walking this world not knowing the meaning of my name, Wabuyi but now I know. Only that I was born in the "wrong" month.

As we sail through July, the month of harvest, the longest month of the year, may blessings envelope your life. May you harvest wherever you have sown good seed.

And also, take care!

Uganda is ours, you can't take that away.

As we embark on the journey, to a new financial year, as a country, I imagine how it has been a painful thing being in Uganda for the last 30 years and especially for adults; with heavy burdens imposed on you everyday that passes by. Most of this pain is not even caused by the heavy taxes but by how our taxes are misappropriated and skewed to uplifting some regions while others are left to crumble. 

In many cases you're tempted to think that there is a mission by our rulers which is meant to make us hate our country. But us, Ugandans love this country tremendously. Even when the burdens weigh heavily on our lives and in our hearts, we still remember that we were not only born in Uganda but Uganda lives in us!

I love Uganda, my motherland!

The Uganda flag

The unfairness doesn't take away our cheerful nature. We welcome foreigners with open hands and in our hearts, even in lack we share the little we have.

Our nature is unique. Ugandans go to Sudan, Middle East and are mistreated but we are happy to host millions of Sudanese refugees. We even let foreigners come here and fight over our land. That is generosity not to be found in many countries.

Even in the deepest of pain and you greet a Ugandan, "how are you?", he/she will always respond with a smile "I am fine" because we are Ugandans!